An intriguing bout on the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night 231 sees streaking Russian Rinat Fakhretdinov face home boy Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos in San Paulo, Brazil. Unbeaten in his three fights in the UFC and ranked number fifteen in the Welterweight division, Rinat Fakhretdinov will have his work cut out against a very confident Zaleski dos Santos, who defeated Abubakar Nurmagomedov last June in Las Vegas. The Russian is a huge favorite in the early odds.
MMA: UFC Welterweight
Venue: Ginasio do Ibirapuera, São Paulo, Brazil
Where to watch: ESPN+
Date: 5.11.2023. 02.50
Elizeu Zaleski
“Capoeira” trained in Capoeira, the Brazilian martial arts and dance form, before transitioning to MMA. He lost his UFC debut to Nicolas Dalby in 2015. What followed next was an impressive run of seven consecutive wins that included victories over Max Griffin and current Middleweight champion Sean Strickland. A one-year ban for testing positive for a banned substance in 2022 did not seem to faze the Brazilian, as he returned this year with a massive win over Abubakar Nurmagomedov. The 36-year-old has a 10-3 record in the promotion.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 36
- Height: 5’11”
- Weight: 171 Ibs
- Reach: 73”
- Record: 24-7
Rinat Fakhretdinov
The Russian fighter has one loss from twenty-two pro fights. Throughout his career, he has switched between the 185-pound and 170-pound classes. “Gladiator” returned to Welterweight in his UFC debut last year. Now, with three consecutive wins in the promotion, the master of combat samba is relentlessly maintaining his winning streak. Seeing that his last loss came ten years ago in Kharkiv, Ukraine, at the Igor Vovchanchyn Cup, it will take a massive upset to stop the 32-year-old.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 32
- Height: 6’ 0”
- Weight: 17o Ibs
- Reach: 74”
- Record: 21-1
Betting Odds
The Brazilian Elizeu Zalenski do Santos is a 3.84 underdog on Betwinner. The sportsbook prices the favorite to win by KO/TKO or chokehold at 1.909. 1XBET has the fight to go the distance at 2.15 odds and a finish inside the distance at 1.667. On Bet365, Elizeu Zaleski to win by decision is 6.00 odds, with Rinat Fakhretdinov by points priced at 2.87.