Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos not worried about travel adjustments ahead of UFC Fight Night 96

Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos is a finisher. With 14 finishes in 15 career victories, he’s planning to score another knockout when he faces Keita Nakamura at UFC Fight Night 96.

The Brazilian started off his UFC career on a sour note, losing a close split-decision to Nicolas Dalby at UFC Fight Night 67. A knockout of Omari Akhmedov at UFC on FOX 19 got dos Santos (15-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) back on the winning track.

Now, he’ll look to run his winning streak to two when he faces Nakamura (32-7-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a welterweight bout to kick off the FS2 prelims from Moda Center in Portland, Ore. The FS2 prelims follow early prelims on UFC Fight Pass and air ahead of a main card on FS1.

“My career started on the right foot, as seen by my (four-fight) winning streak at Jungle Fight in Brazil,” dos Santos told MMAjunkie. “Since I entered the UFC, I’ve managed to get even better, and I’ve been showing my work to the rest of the world. I feel happy with the work I’ve put in with my team. My first fight in the UFC was a split-decision loss, which many people felt I won. After my second UFC fight, I was able to prove that I’m here to stay.”

With more than 40 professional bouts, Nakamura, 32, is one of the most experienced competitors on the UFC roster.

dos Santos said he’s aware of Nakamura’s experience. However, the 29-year-old believes he has the perfect style to counteract the pressure fighting style of the Japanese welterweight.

“Keita Nakamura is very versatile, complete, and experienced,” dos Santos said. “But there are holes in his game. It will be a very interesting fight in regards to strategy. He likes to move forward. So all the elements are there for a great fight. Without a doubt, I’ll look for a knockout. And I have zero fear of going to the ground. I’m feeling sharp. If he goes to the ground, he’s getting submitted.”

This will be dos Santos’ second straight fight in the United States. At UFC on FOX 19, he took out Akhmedov at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.

The extra travel from Brazil to Portland appeared to be a significant issue for Brazilian fighters because three missed weight at the official weigh-ins. However, dos Santos came in at the 171 mark to make his fight official.

He said he believes his success in making weight will carry over successfully to the octagon.

“It’s a matter of adaptation,” dos Santos said. “I train in Curitiba, synced with fight time. And Curitiba is cold too. Sometimes it’s even cold in the middle of summer. So I don’t think it will be hard to adjust. I’ll simply arrive and show my work.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 96, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.