SAO PAULO – Calling people out hadn’t worked for Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos in the past. But, after taking his sixth straight win this past Saturday, he decided to give it another shot.

“About my request inside the octagon,” dos Santos said politely after his second-round knockout of Luigi Vendramini at UFC Fight Night 137. “I would like to face Robbie Lawler in my next fight.”

That was no modest request. Lawler, after all, is a former UFC champion who’s faced some of the top welterweights in the world – and did it mostly in exciting fashion. Although he’s lost two of his past three fights, there’s really not much shame in losing to current 170-pound champion Tyron Woodley and former lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos. Lawler remains a massive fan favorite.

But don’t let dos Santos’ (20-5 MMA, 6-1 UFC) UFC Fight Pass placement fool you: Lawler (28-12 MMA, 13-6 UFC) wasn’t a crazy request, either. Not only has the Brazilian beaten all but one of his opponents since joining the UFC, he’s done it emphatically, earning three finishes and three “Fight of the Night” bonuses in the process.

“I think (Lawler) is the guy to do a great fight with,” dos Santos reiterated backstage. “He’s an ex-champion. He likes to brawl, and so do I. They’re talking about Curitiba (possible February event in Brazil, as reported by Brazil’s Combate.com), who knows then. Let’s do it. Let’s fight and give this to the fans.”

FLYING KNEE!!!@ElizeuCapoeira lands an INSANE flying knee and puts Vendramini away in round 2! #UFCSP pic.twitter.com/3dXrUzDlpy — UFC (@ufc) September 22, 2018

There’s a good chance the fans would, indeed, appreciate the matchup. The problem is that a lot of them might not know who dos Santos even is, considering he has yet to be featured in a UFC main card or to be paired with a fellow top-15 ranked opponent.

On Saturday, dos Santos ended up with a UFC newcomer in Vendramini. And while he was happy to get any fight after Belal Muhammad pulled out, and had a lot of praise for his “warrior” short-notice replacement, dos Santos is hoping for an upgrade.

“What I expect is to fight the best,” dos Santos said. “I want someone in the top 15 of the division.”

That is what dos Santos asked for by citing Lawler’s name when Jimmy Smith interviewed him in the octagon at Ibirapuera Gymnasium. That is what the Brazilian fighter did backstage, too, following up on the matter with reporters.

Asked why he thinks higher ranked competition has eluded him, dos Santos said he doesn’t understand. He does know, though, that there are lines he isn’t willing to cross in order to get it.

“Trash-talking, saying bad things about the guy, I don’t like that stuff,” dos Santos said. “(It’s about) breaking each other in there, anyway. Do our work. Leave (the trash talk) to those who know how to do it. I don’t know how to call people’s mom’s names. That type of thing, I don’t know how to do.

“… I just don’t want to talk a bunch of crap. Because I think it’s ugly, and it tarnishes the sport.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 137, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.