Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos Still Going Strong

Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos looks in the mirror every day and knows virtually everyone views him as an old man in a young man’s game.

The 38-year-old Brazilian will attempt to maintain a position of relevance in the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight division when he toes the line against Chidi Njokuani in a featured UFC Fight Night 254 attraction on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Zaleski dos Santos enjoys working to keep Father Time at bay, even as he drifts deeper into his late 30s.

“Considering all the work I’ve been putting in, I believe I still have a great chance of fighting for the title,” he told Sherdog.com. “That’s always been the objective. I’m in this organization because I’m one of the best fighters in the world. I work hard for that. I’ve been carving my path to get to the title. I’ll get there sooner or later. I just need to stick to my training. I have another important fight ahead of me now. Each step will deem me more worthy of the title.”

Armed with four-inch height and seven-inch reach advantages, Njokuani poses a significant problem. The former Tachi Palace Fights champion has rattled off back-to-back wins and last saw action at UFC Fight Night 244, where he took a three-round unanimous decision from Jared Gooden on Oct. 12. Njokuani has delivered 14 of his 24 professional victories by knockout or technical knockout, 10 of them inside one round.

“I see him as a great striker. That’s undeniable,” Zaleski dos Santos said. “He’s very experienced, and he’s also in the world’s top promotion. It’s because he’s good. I like that. A good opponent allows me to train more and focus better. I expect our fight to play out on the feet since I’m also a good striker. I have several training partners who are both tall and great kickboxers. I have what I need. We’ll put on a great show for the fans, without a doubt.

“I do see several holes in his game, even on the feet,” he added. “He does have good takedown defense and can be dangerous with jiu-jitsu attacks, but nothing that impressive. His forte is undeniably his striking, but I’m an MMA fighter. I’ll pursue this fight wherever I find best. It could be on the ground as much as on the feet. I’ll be very well prepared, either way. You can be sure I’ll have my arm raised at the end, whether by knockout or submission. We’ll get what’s ours.”

Zaleski dos Santos remains entrenched at the CM System camp in Curitiba, Brazil, where he has sharpened his skills under longtime mentor Cristiano Marcello for more than a decade.

“I’ve had a great training camp,” he said. “I’ll be ready for a war. I can’t think of a better place to train in Brazil. I’ve been with Cristiano for 15 years, and with each camp, I get even better. I’m looking forward to delivering my best possible performance in this fight. I want all the fans to see that I’m full of energy. I still have it in me to go very far.”

Zaleski dos Santos owns an 11-4-1 record in the UFC, with wins over Sean Strickland, Benoit St. Denis, Alexey Kunchenko and Lyman Good. “Capoeira” last competed on Nov. 9, when he needed just 75 seconds to punch out Zach Scroggin at UFC Fight Night 247. He never struggles to find motivation.

“I love what I do,” Zaleski dos Santos said. “Fighting is in my DNA.”