Talented welterweight striker Elizeu Zaleski will make his return to the Octagon at UFC 224 on May 12 from inside Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when he takes on former King of the Cage middleweight champion Sean Strickland.
UFC officials announced the booking earlier today following an initial report by Combate.
Zaleski, 31, has been an absolute menace since entering the promotion back in 2015. The Brazilian has now won four fights in a row while capturing three Fight of the Night bonuses. With notable victories over Max Griffin and Lyman Good, Zaleski is aiming to make a push towards the welterweight top 15 with a win over Strickland this May.
Strickland, 27, is coming off a unanimous decision win over veteran Court McGee this past November. The California native has lost to only Santiago Ponzinibbio and Kamaru Usman since his promotional debut back in 2014, while capturing key wins over Alex Garcia, Tom Breese, and Luke Barnatt. Strickland still possess incredible potential at 170 pounds despite his inability to maintain a substantial win streak over the past few years.
UFC 224 will be headlined by a women’s bantamweight title fight pitting current champion Amanda Nunes against former Ultimate Fighter standout Raquel Pennington.
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