Elizeu Zaleski signs new four-fight deal, meets Muslim Salikhov at UFC 251

Elizeu Zaleski is not going anywhere.

“Capoeira” beat Alexey Kunchenko in the final bout of his contract with the UFC back in March, and signed a new four-fight deal with the company to face Muslim Salikhov at Abu Dhabi’s UFC 251 on July 11, sources told MMA Fighting. Combate first reported the matchup.

Salikhov (16-2) won 14 of his last 15 fights since 2013. “King of Kung Fu” enters the first “Fight Island” card coming off three straight UFC victories over Ricky Rainey, Nordine Taleb and Laureano Staropoli.

Zaleski (22-6) only lost once since 2016, a run that includes eight octagon wins. A protege under PRIDE and UFC veteran Cristiano Marcello, “Capoeira” has beaten the likes of Curtis Millender, Max Griffin and Lyman Good under the UFC banner.

UFC 251 will feature a trio of championship bouts and air live on pay-per-view.

Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway
Petr Yan vs. Jose Aldo
Amanda Ribas vs. Paige VanZant
Jessica Andrade vs. Rose Namajunas

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Jiri Prochazka
Tai Tuivasa vs. Jarjis Danho
Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Ciryl Gane
Makwan Amirkhani vs. Danny Henry
Leo Santos vs. Roman Bogatov
Raulian Paiva vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov
Karol Rosa vs. Vanessa Melo
Elizeu Zaleski vs. Muslim Salikhov