When it comes to his fighting career, Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos has repeatedly made one thing clear: He wants it to be about what he does inside the cage, not outside of it.

That is why you won’t see dos Santos engaging in Twitter beefs, getting in people’s faces at weigh-ins or using his mic time to issue aggressive callouts to his UFC welterweight peers. In fact, you’ll rarely see dos Santos making any callouts of any nature.

Every now and then, though, dos Santos will get a little more vocal about what he wants – like earlier this month, when he said during a Q&A in Rio de Janeiro that he’d like a shot at Leon Edwards.

As usual, however, dos Santos (21-5 MMA, 7-1 UFC) kept his callout civil. There’s no beef, no heat, nothing personal against Edwards (17-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC). There’s mostly just logic.

“He’s also coming off seven straight wins,” dos Santos told MMA Junkie during UFC 237 fight week earlier this month. “It’s a fight that many fans would probably love, and I think it’s only fair that we settle this difference and decide who deserves to get that eighth straight win.”

Dos Santos’ math is accurate. He and Edwards are currently in a three-way tie with Santiago Ponzinibbio for second longest winning streak in the UFC’s welterweight division, behind only champ Kamaru Usman. Edwards earned his seventh straight win in March, after edging out Gunnar Nelson at UFC on ESPN+ 5, while dos Santos choked out Curtis Millender earlier the week before.

A few days after he put in in the request for Edwards, though, the circumstances put a new target in Santos’ sights, and for someone who isn’t that used to issuing challenges, he isn’t doing so bad.

(Via Twitter:)

Seven straight wins. My last three opponents didn’t last enough to get me a bonus, but I know Robbie will. @ufc @seanshelby @danawhite — Elizeu Capoeira (@ElizeuCapoeira) May 17, 2019

Seven straight wins. My last three opponents didn’t last enough to get me a bonus, but I know Robbie will.

Dos Santos was, of course, talking about Robbie Lawler, who was left without an opponent after fellow former UFC champion Tyron Woodley had to withdraw from their UFC on ESPN 3 rematch on June 29. We still don’t know which way the promotion is going to go there, but we do know that “Capoeira” has a lot of competition for the spot – including Edwards, himself.

Either way, at least as far as being fight-ready goes, the timeline would work for dos Santos. In the earlier chat with MMA Junkie, the welterweight said that he was already itching to return, and that by June or July he would be good to go.

In fact, if it were up to the welterweight, he would have fought already. As he’d said after the big win over Millender, dos Santos had his sights on a spot at UFC 237 in Rio and says he basically spent three weeks “fighting” for a chance to be there.

Dos Santos still doesn’t know why it didn’t happen. Perhaps the card was already full, he figures. But, as usual, don’t expect him to get too worked up about it.

“On the other hand, it was good,” dos Santos said. “I’m getting more prepared for the next fight, so it’s just making me stronger.”

Not to mention, this wasn’t dos Santos’ only chance of fighting in his native Brazil this year. The UFC is reportedly headed toward the country again in November, possibly in the city of Sao Paulo, and he wouldn’t mind a spot there.

And that’s pretty much the attitude that dos Santos carries to the rest of his career. In the lead-up to his most recent fight, which served as the co-main event at UFC Wichita, a lot of the conversation was around the fact that, despite his impressive record and exciting style, dos Santos continued to be relegated to preliminary cards.

Dos Santos kind of wondered the same thing, as well. But, confident that he’s on the right path when it comes to his career, the 32-year-old Brazilian isn’t too worried about how long it will take to complete it.

“I think the results I’ve been showing are amazing,” dos Santos said. “I can make it a lot further, still. I don’t see myself at my peak, yet. I still have a lot of wood to burn, so I’m happy with my trajectory. Like you said, the opportunities could have come sooner, but I think they came at the right time. Sooner or later, things will happen.

“The important thing is to do my job, to perfect myself more and more. I will get there and for sure I’ll have the opportunity to fight for the belt and bring it to Brazil.”

For more on the upcoming UFC schedule, visit the UFC Rumors section of the site.