JERSEY CITY, N.J. – [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] got some insight from a Hall of Famer ahead of UFC 302.
Almeida (20-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) meets Alexandr Romanov (17-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) on Saturday’s main card (pay-per-view/ESPN2/ESPN+) at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Almeida competes on the same card as headliner and UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who will have [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] in his corner. Almeida says he had the opportunity to speak to Nurmagomedov and was surprised when “The Eagle” told him he watched his fights.
“I’ve always been a big fan of Makhachev,” Almeida told reporters, including MMA Junkie, through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC 302 media day. “As everyone knows, I’m a fan of that school. I’m a fan of that style. I’m a huge Khabib fan. I crossed paths with him doing some training, and I really got emotional about it, just somebody I’ve always admired.
“I actually found out that he watched my fights and had some comments on my fight. So, I was just there absorbing all the tips and the fact that he actually watched my fights, and I’ve watched him train, as well, so I saw some things. Listen, big fan of Makhachev. I just think he’s a surreal evolution, he’s growing a lot, and I think it’s going to be Islam (beating Poirier).”
Almeida will look to rebound from his first octagon loss when he takes on fellow grappler Romanov.
“He’s a really experienced guy,” Almeida said. “Somebody that’s got a good record, coming off a win, but a guy that’s young. He’s 33 years old, but for his age he’s got a lot of experience under his belt and is a guy with a different style for heavyweights. He likes the ground game, the wrestling, the grappling style and again, an experienced guy that likes to grapple.”
[lawrence-related id=2743372,2743277,2722817]
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.