Rinat Fakhretdinov is the UFC Sao Paulo fighter to watch
Rinat Fakhretdinov had been on a tear well before he joined the UFC. The Combat Sambo specialist from Russia hasn't lost since 2013 and will face off against veteran Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, who will be looking for his third straight, as the UFC returns to Sao Paulo for the first time since 2019.
Fakhretdinov fights out of the American Top Team and is newly ranked at No. 15 in the welterweight division after his most recent win. Fakhretdinov went 6-2 as an amateur before going pro in 2013 and started his pro career 1-1. After that, Fakhretdinov hasn't lost, going 17-0 with 16 finishes during an eight-year stretch and winning local promotion GFC's middleweight championship. Fakhretdinov moved back down to welterweight since signing with the UFC, going 3-0 which includes wins over TUF 29 winner Bryan Battle and most recently former interim title challenger Kevin Lee at UFC Vegas 76.
Rinat Fakhretdinov will collide with Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos at UFC Sao Paulo
Brazilian native Zaleski dos Santos is looking to go on another win streak. Zaleski dos Santos was 14-4 before joining the UFC as the Jungle Fight welterweight champion in 2014. Zaleski dos Santos has a modest 10-3 record with the organization, even going on a seven-fight win streak from 2016 to 2019. Zaleski dos Santos holds wins over the likes of Omari Akhmedov, Benoit Saint-Denis, and current middleweight champion Sean Strickland. Zaleski dos Santos' most recent win came against Abubakar Nurmagomedov at UFC Vegas 74.
Fakhretdinov and dos Santos will feature in the prelims and Fakhretdinov will hold a one-inch height and reach advantage, but both fighters are well-rounded. Fakhretdinov is a Master of Sport in Combat Sambo while dos Santos specializes in Capoeira and is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. While he is the heavy favorite, this fight may be closer than some think, and a win from Fakhretdinov would be a nice name to add to his resume.
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