JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos’s fighting style has always stood out, but it seems like there might be another gear to it.
The flashy Brazilian welterweight returns this Saturday in the opening bout of UFC 302, which goes down at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Zaleski dos Santos (24-7-1 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC) takes on fellow veteran Brown (18-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC). Zaleski dos Santos has scored many impressive finishes in his UFC run, most notably a spinning wheel KO of Sean Strickland – who fights in the co-main event of the card.
Ahead of his return, Zaleski dos Santos promises to show evolution in his game with further help of his capoeira training.
“I always try to improve from camp to camp, and this camp was no different,” Zaleski dos Santos said at the UFC 302 media day. “We got a lot of good quality sparring partners, new athletes, that helped me a lot. I was also able to train a lot of capoeira as well. I think those were the main things that allowed me to evolve in this camp.”
Zaleski dos Santos is unbeaten in his past three fights, a stretch that includes a win over Benoit Sant-Denis. He respects Brown and thinks this is an excellent name to keep building on this current run.
“I remember him, if I’m not mistaken, from fighting in Rio one time, and as soon as I heard his name, I jumped on the fight right away,” Zaleski dos Santos said. “I think it’s a great opportunity. I think it’s a great fight, and I think it’s up there for Fight of the Night.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.
