Welterweight Elizeu Zaleski says he didn’t sign up to take on Neil Magny at UFC Rochester.
In a surprising turn of events, rising welterweight Elizeu Zaleski denied he will be taking on Neil Magny at UFC Rochester, although UFC officials already announced the bout for May 18th in Rochester, NY.
On his personal Instagram account, Zaleski wrote a message stating that there was no truth behind the announcement, even though the does welcome the Magny fight. In fact, still according to the post, ‘Capoeira’ does not intend to step back into the Octagon before June or July.
“Today I saw a lot of posts matching me in a fight in Rochester, NY, against Neil Magny. As much as this is a fight that I want, there was no truth behind it. At no point have I or my team been contacted by the UFC about the match and as we stand I will be competing again sometime around June or July.”
Fellow welterweight Michael Chiesa chimed in on Twitter, saying that he thinks he’s booked against Magny in June:
Yes this is true, @NeilMagny is fighting me in June in Chicago. That’s what I was told. https://t.co/5ppw2UMaJB
— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) March 28, 2019
In his latest outing on March 9, Zaleski (21-5) finished Curtis Millender in the first round with a rear-naked choke, securing the 32-year-old’s seventh straight UFC win. So far, Capoeira only lost one fight in the Octagon, back in his debut, on May 2015, when he dropped a split decision to Nicolas Dalby.
UFC Fight Night 151 is expected to take place in Rochester, New York, on May 18. The card will be headlined by a welterweight bout between former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos and Kevin Lee.