Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos is on a tear and can’t seem to draw a ranked opponent.
Dos Santos (21-5 MMA, 7-1 UFC) takes on Li Jingliang (16-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) on Aug. 31 at UFC on ESPN+ 15 in Shenzhen, China.
“Capoeira,” who’s on a seven-fight winning streak, has three straight finishes over Sean Strickland, Luigi Vendramini and, most recently Curtis Millender at UFC on ESPN+ 4. But once again, he’s fighting an unranked opponent.
Contrary to what some may think, he’s not too concerned.
“I’m not disappointed about not getting a ranked opponent,” dos Santos told MMA Junkie. “I know what I deserve in the future in the UFC after this fight.”
He will take on fellow surging welterweight Jingliang, who has won six of his past seven. Dos Santos said he respects Jingliang’s skills as a proven finisher who, like dos Santos, always brings the fight.
“He’s a very good fighter in all areas,” dos Santos said. “He has good jiu-jitsu, good wrestling, good muay Thai. In my mind, I have to be better than him and go forward.”
The two will square off in China, Jingliang’s home country. They were previously scheduled to fight at UFC Fight Night 141 in Beijing, but a knee injury forced dos Santos out.
Dos Santos said the upcoming UFC on ESPN+14 card in Uruguay next week would have been a perfect fit, but he’ll take what he can get.
“For me of course fighting in Uruguay would be better – close to my country, fighting in South America,” dos Santos said. “But it’s an honor for me to fight in China. Different crowd, different country, different culture, but I’m very happy to go there and show my skills there.”
Dos Santos was briefly linked to Neil Magny for the UFC on ESPN+ 9 card in Rochester, N.Y., but denied ever being offered the fight by the UFC. He believes ranked fighters don’t want to face him in fear of losing their placing.
“The ranked guys don’t want to fight against me because they don’t want to pull out of the rankings,” dos Santos said. “They say I’m not a good fight for anyone, including the champion, but I don’t care who they put against me. It’s anywhere, any place, so I’m ready to go. I like to fight, I like training, so I’m ready to go.”
The CM System product is one of the dark horses of the stacked welterweight division. Despite not fighting a ranked opponent yet, he is longing for the moment when he can go toe-to-toe with the welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
“Usman really deserves to be a champion, but I want to see the moment where I put my skills against him and see who is the true champion,” dos Santos said. “I don’t need to show anything anymore. I just need to do what I do every fight: be better and better and knock (Jingliang) out or submit him.”
