Prison Almeida has built its UFC on suffocating dominance and one-way traffic, but on Saturday nights UFC Vegas 113the Brazilian heavyweight faces a very different kind of test when he meets a Russian powerhouse Rizvan Kuniev.
Almeida (22-4) enters the matchup at No. 6 in the heavyweight division. Complicating matters further, he accepts the fight against the unranked Kuniev on short notice, a risky proposition that begs an obvious question: Why take such a gamble with a spot at the top of the division already within reach?
“No one wanted to accept the fight. Not a single name has come forward to actually fight Rizvan on such short notice,” Almeida told Cageside Press through a translator on Wednesday.
“So I basically just said I wanted to have a fight. I don’t have a planned fight. Nobody wanted to take this one. I want to be active. That’s it.”
“He’s good at hitting and will take you down. We know he’s capable of those things. He’s got the skills. He fought Curtis Blaydes and had a really tough fight,” he said.
When it comes to skills, one of the loudest criticisms of Almeida’s game is his insistence on killing fights. At heavyweight, it’s not the most popular style with fans.
“I think I have to see the whole journey. Throughout this journey, there are fights where I basically come out of the fight and I didn’t even get hit. From the Contender Series on, I don’t let one fight define me,” he said.
“I think people should look at the fights and see that my journey in the UFC has been pretty good.”
Watch the entire media day with Jailton Almeida above. He faces Rizvan Kuniev on Saturday night at UFC Vegas 113.
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