Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. An exciting welterweight clash in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship has received an equally exciting
replacement. On Wednesday night,
AgFight first reported that Elizeu
Zaleski dos Santos (22-7) has been forced to withdraw from his
bout against Shavkat
Rakhmonov (12-0) at
UFC 254. The two were set to collide on Oct. 24 at the Flash
Forum in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, but Zaleski
dos Santos pulled out due to an injury. He will be replaced by
fellow countryman Alex
Oliveira (22-8-1, 2 NC), and Rakhmonov has since confirmed the
news on his Instagram.
Oliveira will be looking to extend his win streak to three with a
short-notice opportunity against the unbeaten Rakhmonov. “Cowboy”
has not won three consecutive bouts since a stretch in 2015 early
in his UFC tenure. The thrilling Brazilian, who has competed both
at lightweight and welterweight throughout his career in the UFC,
has racked up several post-fight bonuses along the way. “Cowboy”
sports victories over the likes of Carlos
Condit, Tim Means and
Will
Brooks during his time on the roster.
Rakhmonov will go from facing one aggressive striker to another
from Zaleski dos Santos to Oliveira, and he will do so attempting
to keep his spotless record intact. The Kazakhstani newcomer has
yet to taste defeat as a pro or even go the distance, with only one
of his 12 bouts ever reaching the third round. Despite a career
packed with M-1 Global appearance in the M-1 Challenge circuit,
Rakhmonov posts a win over a current UFC fighter in Jun Yong
Park – Rakhmonov submitted him in 2016.
“Capoeira” was attempting to bounce back from a split decision
setback to Muslim
Salikhov in July, but he suffered a
knee injury that will put him out of action for the foreseeable
future. Before losing two of three to the aforementioned Salikhov
and Jingliang
Li in 2019, the then-ranked Zaleski dos Santos racked up a
seven-fight win streak including victories over Curtis
Millender, Lyman Good
and Omari
Akhmedov. Of note, back-to-back performances on that stretch
made Zaleski dos Santos the first fighter in UFC history to win
consecutively by spinning strike knockout and flying strike
knockout – a feat later replicated by Johnny
Walker.
UFC 254 will happen on Oct. 24 at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, and
the marquee matchup comes in the form of a lightweight championship
unification match between Khabib
Nurmagomedov and Justin
Gaethje. The co-headliner sees a de facto middleweight title
eliminator as Robert
Whittaker takes on Jared
Cannonier, while at heavyweight, Alexander
Volkov squares off with Walt
Harris.
