The only heavyweights on the UFC Vegas 113 card, Rizvan Kuniev and Jailton Almeida, faced off in Las Vegas in what was a huge opportunity for Russia’s Kuniev.
With original opponent Ryan Spann eliminated, Kuniev got a serious upgrade, moving from unranked Spann to #6-ranked Almeida. For a fighter who struggled to stay active in the UFC, it was a huge boon for Kuniev if he was able to take advantage of it.
Early on, Almedia focused on driving Kuniev into the fence, although Kuniev was able to get one under the hook and get out of the cage, then reverse and get Jailton there. Kuniev looked to sneak in an elbow, but Almeida used that moment to duck for a takedown. Neither man was successful and they headed back to the fence. The referee, calling for action, eventually restarted them in the middle. That led to Almeida punching his way in, and Kuniev instead gaining control and taking the Brazilian back to the fence.
That led to a second restart by ref “Big” Dan Miragliotta. After a few feints and misstarts, Kuniev fired a kick, closed the distance, let the hands fly and brought Almeida back to the fence. They ended the round with a final clinch and a quick exchange.
There is a lot of room for improvement in the second round. Almeida got a low kick. He would also shoot for a takedown, but Kuniev easily blocked it, putting the Brazilian back on the fence. He tore the body once and then again. Added a knee. Almeida basically stood there, as if waiting for another restart from the referee. Not exactly a winning strategy. Outside the fence, Almeida landed a few short punches, while Kuniev landed his jab and threw combos to close the distance.
After two rounds of little action, it was back to the fence in the third, with the small group of fans in the newly renovated Meta Apex making their displeasure known. Kuniev was in control more often than not, and Almeida seemed to have little answer in that position. After 90 seconds he freed himself and fired a few quick punches to the body. Kuniev responded with a hook, and Almeida finally attacked with another volley of his own. And then… back to the fence. This time Almeida escaped quickly. Kuniev got a shot. Almeida fired a right hand that sent Kuniev backing up.
Perhaps the wildest thing about Alemeida versus Kuniev was that it turned out to be a heavyweight fight where neither man ever seemed in danger of being knocked out. With just under two minutes to go the referee pulled them off the fence again. Big Dan did everything he could to force an entertaining fight. Almeida elected to fire a combination, with Kuniev pinning him again. Almeida tried to make a foray, but the Russian remained standing. Even more downtime. Another restart by Big Dan. Almeida pointed to the center, and Kuniev obliged with a wave.
If only the whole fight had been this exciting. 10 seconds of action in a 15 minute fight wasn’t what fight fans were looking for. Kuniev took the decision and could even crack the rankings, but there were no real winners in Rizvan Kuniev vs. Jailton Alemeida.
Official result: Rizvan Kuniev final. Jailton Almeida by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
#UFC #Vegas #real #winners #Rizvan #Kuniev #beats #Jailton #Almeida