Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos is looking to test striking skills against the man known as “The King of Kung Fu.”
Zaleski (22-6 MMA, 8-2 UFC) faces Muslim Salikhov on July 11 at UFC 251 in an intriguing stylistic matchup that is expected to primarily play out standing.
Zaleski, who goes by the nickname “Capoeira,” started training the Brazilian martial art at a very young age before transitioning to MMA. His striking style has seen him score an array of creative finishes, including a wheel-kick knockout of Sean Strickland at UFC 224 in 2018, followed by a flying-knee KO of Luigi Vendramini later that year.
Most of Salikhov’s wins have come on the feet, too, with three of his last four wins coming by emphatic knockouts.
“Muslim Salikhov is an equally-skilled striker,” Zaleski told MMA Junkie. “He has a ton of stand-up experience. He’s a wushu sanda (Chinese kickboxing) champion, which is huge in China and Russia. I’m truly happy to be facing such a high-quality opponent. I have to push myself every day during my training camp, so I can give my best on fight night. I’ve studied him. I know where he’s good. I also see gaps I can explore. It’s going to be a war of styles – capoeira vs. kung fu.”
Winner of eight of his last nine, Zaleski saw his seven-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Li Jingliang last August before rebounding with a win over Alexey Kunchenko in March. It was a pivotal win for Zaleski, who is looking to embark on another run in hopes of breaking his way into the UFC’s official welterweight rankings.
“Once we were booked to face each other, I knew it was an important fight and that I would have to give my best effort,” Zaleski said of his fight with Kunchenko. “After my setback in China, I used that knowledge to further mature, to go back to my winning ways. That’s how it played out when I faced Kunchenko. I was able to prove that I can always hang with the best.
“I think a lot about getting into the top five. I work hard to make that happen. But I always say that it’s one step at a time and that the most important fight is always the next one. What happens after, that’s after. I expect, as I keep winning, that the UFC will have no choice but to rank me among the best.”
'Capoeira vs. kung fu': UFC 251's Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos relishes challenge of Muslim Salikhov