Preview: UFC on ESPN 46 ‘Kara-France vs. Albazi’

Welterweights

Abubakar Nurmagomedov (17-3-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (23-7, 9-3 UFC)

ODDS: Nurmagomedov (-110), Zaleski dos Santos (-110)

It has not been the prettiest run, but it has at least been nice to see Nurmagomedov right the ship after a disappointing UFC debut. The cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov, he has never quite lived up to the crushing expectations of his last name but has typically been a reliably rock-solid fighter, which made it a bit of a shock when David Zawada spoiled his first Octagon assignment with a triangle choke in less than three minutes. Nurmagomedov has not kept a particularly active schedule in the three and a half years since, but he has been back to his workmanlike ways in his two most recent fights, scoring decision wins over Jared Gooden and Gadzhi Omargadzhiev. Both were relatively one-dimensional opponents, which allowed Nurmagomedov to put in complete showings to walk away with clear wins. That all suggests Nurmagomedov is ready for some stiffer tests, and Zaleski dos Santos should qualify, though the Brazilian is at an odd point in his career. Zaleski dos Santos dropped a nip-tuck decision to Nicolas Dalby in his UFC debut back in 2015, then spent the next few years taking the long road to relevance. Despite being a dynamic striker with a knack for exciting fights, it took “Capoeira” seven straight wins—including a quick head kick knockout of Sean Strickland—to get much notice as a fighter to watch. A co-main event in China against Jingliang Li seemed to be the first instance of the UFC having much promotional faith in Zaleski dos Santos, so naturally that was when things suddenly started to turn south, as he put in what might have been the worst performance of his UFC career before getting stopped in the third round. Zaleski dos Santos has not been able to recapture much of his momentum in the four years since, mostly due to inactivity, though he has looked a bit diminished during the times he has stepped into the cage. He remains a dangerous and well-rounded fighter, but the extra burst that made him so electric at his peak seems to have abandoned him in his late 30s. That is enough to put this result in doubt, though Zaleski dos Santos still gets edge. The bet is that Nurmagomedov has a bit more trouble winning rounds against a fighter as well-rounded as the Brazilian and that even a diminished version of Zaleski dos Santos can neutralize his wrestling and land some big moments of offense. The pick is Zaleski dos Santos via decision.

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Kara-France vs. Albazi
Caceres vs. Pineda
Gordon vs. Miller
Elliott vs. Altamirano
Silva vs. Souza
Nurmagomedov vs. Zaleski dos Santos
The Prelims