Tag: Jailton Almeida

Jailton Almeida advises Tom Aspinall to be ‘very patient’ vs. Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304

Jailton Almeida hopes Tom Aspinall can learn from his mistakes when he defends his interim title against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304.

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] hopes [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] can learn from his mistakes when he defends his interim heavyweight title against [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] at UFC 304.

Almeida (19-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC), who meets Alexandr Romanov on Saturday at UFC 302 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+), is coming off a difficult loss to Blaydes in his most recent performance. He was winning the fight early after scoring nine takedowns in the opening round, but then Blaydes turned the tide and earned a knockout from ground strikes early in the second frame at UFC 299 in March.

The Brazilian admits he got overeager against Blaydes due to his early success, and that ultimately cost him as he was unable to show patience and maintain the same pace over the course of three rounds.

He said Aspinall (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) needs to study that approach going into his rematch with Blaydes (18-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) on June 27 at Co-op Live in Manchester, England, and advises the interim champ not to overextend himself in the early moments of the bout.

“I think Aspinall is going to win,” Almeida told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. “He’s a more complete fighter. He has a lot of respect for his career. I do believe that Curtis is a very strategic fighter and Aspinall will have to be very patient, just as I wasn’t. Aspinall will have to be very patient and understand to when he can throw himself at Curtis, because Curtis will be waiting for him. On the floor, probably.”

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Blaydes got a victory over Aspinall in their first meeting at UFC Fight Night 208 in July 2022, but it was far from satisfying. Aspinall went down with an injury just 15 seconds into the headlining bout, and now the pair get the opportunity to have a sequel without controversy.

In the meantime, Almeida, No. 10 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie heavyweight rankings, will be looking to reestablish himself as a contender against Romanov and set himself up for a future encounter with No. 2-ranked Aspinall or rematch with No. 5-ranked Blaydes.

“I want to fight Aspinall in the future, and I also would like to come back and fight with Curtis once again,” Almeida said. “I’m looking for revenge, and I know the first step is to have a victory (at UFC 302).”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302 and UFC 304.

UFC 302’s Jailton Almeida ‘sad’ he fumbled Tom Aspinall interim title shot with loss to Curtis Blaydes

Jailton Almeida can’t help but think of the what-ifs now that the UFC heavyweight title picture is taking form.

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] can’t help but think of the what-ifs now that the UFC heavyweight title picture is taking form for the second half of 2024.

Almeida (19-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) returns to the octagon UFC 302 on June 1 when he takes on Alexandr Romanov (17-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in a main card bout at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+). The Brazilian will attempt to get back on track following his first octagon defeat, which came against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 299 in March.

With heavyweight champion Jon Jones recovering from injury and expected to return vs. Stipe Miocic on Nov. 9 in New York, interim champion Tom Aspinall has been booked to defend against Blaydes at UFC 304 on June 27 in Manchester, England.

That would’ve likely been Almeida’s spot had he beat Blaydes, and he admits it makes the result all the more painful.

“I felt a bit surprised and sad,” Almeida told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. “I definitely felt this was my great opportunity to fight against Aspinall. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Once I learned it wasn’t going to be against me, I knew I missed my chance. But I also know God’s timing is perfect, and I will have my chance in the future.”

Almeida’s disappointment is understandable. After starting his UFC tenure with seven straight wins and six finishes, he got a huge opportunity against a perennial contender in Blaydes. Almeida, 32, came out on fire, landing nine takedowns and controlling Blaydes for all but 21 seconds of the five-minute opening round, per UFC Stats.

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Blaydes found an answer in the second round, though, because he stuffed Almeida’s first takedown attempt and then landed a slew of hammerfists for the knockout.

It was an important lesson for Almeida, he said, but one he thinks he’s now fully learned. That’s why, in his mind, what happened with Blaydes isn’t a true defeat.

“I don’t really consider it a loss, even though it’s a loss on paper,” Almeida said. “That’s what I think. I do believe I needed a better strategy. I felt I had a good fight. I was able to get in big hits, but I do believe my strategy in general had to change. A true champion needs to lose to be able to adapt and get better. I’m only taking this loss to be able to improve.

“I think I did a really good fight. I hit him a lot with a lot of lefts. The beginning of the fight was pretty much perfect, but right at the end, I felt like I should’ve been more cautious. I was overexcited about the momentum. I felt I should’ve been more patient. I just went all-in, and I should waited more.”

Almeida, No. 10 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie heavyweight rankings, will have the chance to show his improvements against No. 14-ranked Romanov at UFC 304. Romanov has landed at least one takedown against six of his seven UFC opponents so far, and could be a threat to Almeida’s grappling.

The focus going into fight night isn’t much on the opponent, though. Almeida is determined to overcome his setback and get through Romanov to put himself back on track to get marquee opportunities in the division.

“After the loss I feel strong, I feel happy, I feel confident,” Almeida said. “I’ve really taken the time to understand my faults. So I feel stronger than ever. Especially after the Curtis vs. Aspinall fight was announced, this is serving as an extra motivation for me because I want to fight Aspinall in the future, and I also would like to come back and fight with Curtis once again. I’m looking for revenge, and I know the first step is to have a victory on June 1.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Jailton Almeida gets new UFC 302 opponent Alexandr Romanov

With Alexander Volkov off UFC 302, Jailton Almeida now faces Alexandr Romanov in Newark, N.J.

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] remains on UFC 302, just against a different opponent than initially expected.

With original opponent Alexander Volkov off the card, Almeida (20-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) now is expected to face [autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag] (17-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) instead.

The bout is targeted for June 1 at Prudential Center. Verbal agreements are in place with bout contracts expected to be issued and signed in the coming days. Ag. Fight was first to report the news.

Volkov (37-10 MMA, 11-4 UFC) was removed by the promotion and slotted into a fight June 22 in Saudi Arabia vs. Sergei Pavlovich (18-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC. However, the status of that bout is unclear.

Almeida, 32, makes a relatively quick turnaround after the first loss of his UFC tenure, a knockout defeat against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 299 in Miami in March. The defeat snapped a 15-fight winning streak that included victories over Derrick Lewis and Jairzinho Rozenstruik among others.

Romanov, 33, hopes to keep his momentum alive after a July decision victory over Blagoy Ivanov. The victory snapped a two-fight skid that consisted of the first two losses of his career.

With the addition, the UFC 302 fight card includes:

  • Roman Dolidze vs. Anthony Hernandez
  • Jailton Almeida vs. Alexandr Romanov
  • Joselyne Edwards vs. Ailin Perez
  • Mickey Gall vs. Bassil Hafez
  • Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki
  • Jake Matthews vs. Phil Rowe
  • Andre Lima vs. Hyun Sung Park
  • Niko Price vs. Jeremiah Wells
  • Su Mudaerji vs. Joshua Van
  • Cesar Almeida vs. Roman Kopylov

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Jailton Almeida books quick turnaround fight vs. Alexander Volkov at UFC 302 on June 1

UFC heavyweight Jailton Almeida is wasting little time getting back in the octagon after having his winning streak snapped.

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] is wasting little time getting back in the octagon.

Just more than two weeks removed from defeat, Almeida has agreed to fight [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] in a big-time heavyweight showdown set for June 1 at UFC 302, which is expected to take place at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Monday following an initial report from Leo Guimaraes on X.

Almeida (20-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC), No. 10 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie heavyweight rankings, will compete a little less than three months after being knocked out by Curtis Blaydes on March 9 at UFC 299. The result ended a 15-fight winning streak for the Brazilian, including six in a row in the UFC.

For No. 6 Volkov (37-10 MMA, 11-4 UFC), this will be his first fight in 2024. The Russian standout is on a three-fight winning after most recently defeating Tai Tuivasa by second-round submission last September at UFC 293.

Below is the updated lineup for UFC 302:

  • Jailton Almeida vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Joselyne Edwards vs. Ailin Perez
  • Bassil Hafez vs. Mickey Gall
  • Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki
  • Gillian Robertson vs. Michelle Waterson-Gomez

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

UFC 299 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Sean O’Malley’s $42,000 tops card

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 299 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $359,000.

MIAMI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 299 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $359,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 299 took place at Kaseya Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 299 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]: $21,000;

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Katlyn Cerminara[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Josh Parisian[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Joanne Wood[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Maryna Moroz[/autotag]: $11,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,362,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $24,069,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

UFC 299 results: Curtis Blaydes smashes Jailton Almeida with hammerfists, calls for Tom Aspinall rematch

At UFC 299, Curtis Blaydes overcame Jailton Almeida’s grappling game for a TKO, and then called for a rematch vs. interim champ Tom Aspinall.

While [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] was smothered in the first round against Jailton Almeida, he found a path to a very satisfying result early in Round 2 at UFC 299.

In the final preliminary bout at Kaseya Center in Miami, Blaydes (18-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) solved the grappling attack of Almeida (20-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) by raining down hammerfists to score a TKO stoppage at 0:36 of Round 2.

When the fight began, Almeida didn’t waste much time attempting to get Blaydes to the canvas, and was successful with his first takedown. Blaydes quickly got back to his feet, just to get lifted and dumped again. Just when Blaydes would work back to his feet, Almeida continued to drag him back down repeatedly using a variety of techniques, effectively shutting down any offensive output from Blaydes.

The fight quickly changed course early in Round 2.

After an opening exchange of strikes, Almeida shot in for another takedown. Blaydes hit a solid sprawl, and instead of potentially spending another round grappling, he decided to unleash a furious series of hammerfists. Blaydes kept pounding until Almeida released his grip and dropped to the canvas, prompting referee Mike Beltran to stop the fight.

The result marks a return to the win column for Blaydes, following a stoppage loss to Sergei Pavlovich. During his post-fight interview, Blaydes called for a rematch with current interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. The pair first met in July 2022, but the fight ended in just 15 seconds after Apsinall suffered a freak knee injury.

On the other side, Almeida exits with his first loss under the UFC banner. The Brazilian grappler entered on the heels of a November main event unanimous decision win over former title challenger Derrick Lewis.

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Up-to-the-minute UFC 299 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Curtis Blaydes def. Jailton Almeida at UFC 299: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Curtis Blaydes’ second-round TKO win over Jailton Almeida at UFC 299.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag]’ second-round TKO win over [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] at UFC 299 at Kaseya Center in Miami. (Fight and venue photos by Sam Navarro, USA Today Sports)

Jailton Almeida: Curtis Blaydes ‘in for a surprise’ if he expects predictable grappling at UFC 299

Jailton Almeida warns Curtis Blaydes that expecting a predictable gameplan at UFC 299 would not be wise.

MIAMI – [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] has been a dominant force thus far in his career run thanks to his smothering grappling game, but he may have a few tricks up his sleeve for Curtis Blaydes at UFC 299.

Blayes (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) believes he has Almeida (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) figured out. With more than double the experience of the Brazilian fighting the best in the world under the UFC’s banner, Blaydes has experienced several high-level fighting styles, and expects a predictable gameplan that lacks striking.

According to Almeida, if Blaydes thinks he will be easy to figure out in the feature prelim bout at Kaseya Center, then he will be disappointed.

“I didn’t come here to just be another fighter in the division, I’m here to stay,” Almeida told reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day. “If he didn’t see my striking, it’s because I haven’t had a need to use it yet. Just the grappling alone has been enough to get pretty much everybody out of my way.”

In his second UFC main event in November, Almeida defeated former title challenger Derrick Lewis by unanimous decision. It was a grappling-heavy gameplan, but one that was effective against the heavy-handed Lewis. But the No. 12-ranked heavyweight in the latest USA TODAY SPORTS/MMA Junkie rankings warns Blaydes to be ready for more than just wrestling and jiu-jitsu.

“I just fought five rounds against who might be the heaviest fighter in the division and someone who’s very accomplished, and I did fine,” Almeida said. “If the UFC wants to make it five rounds on Saturday, I’m more than happy to take it right now. If he’s thinking I’m that predictable, maybe he hasn’t watched the latest fights, then he might have a surprise there on Saturday.”

Blaydes recently stated he sees himself as a heavyweight version of Justin Gaethje for this fight, in that he will use his wrestling to keep the fight on the feet, and potentially end the fight by knockout.

“If he’s comparing himself to Gaethje and how he wants to use his wrestling, then I’ll be Khabib (Nurmagomedov) for him,” Almeida said. “That’s not a problem. I’ll get him down and I’ll wear him out. Eventually, I’m going to get him down and I’m going to get the submission.

“I’m going to finish him. If that’s his plan to keep it standing – all the respect to his skill and everything – he’s in for a surprise.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

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UFC 299 pre-event facts: Inside the numbers of stacked Miami lineup

The best facts and figures about UFC 299, which features an absolutely stacked lineup with history on the line for multiple fighters.

The final event in the 200s-era of numbered UFC cards goes down Saturday at UFC 299, and the event from Kaseya Center (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) is one of the most stacked in recent memory.

A lineup filled with a plethora of former title challengers, top-ranked contenders and more, is headline by a bantamweight title rematch. Reigning champ [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) will attempt to make his first defense while simultaneously trying to avenge his only career loss against [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC), who won the first matchup by first-round TKO at UFC 252 in August 2020.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC 299.

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Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera

Video: Jailton Almeida loses to Down syndrome fighter in charity bout – but makes dream come true

UFC heavyweight Jailton Almeida is a big man who apparently has a big heart, as he helped make one fighter’s dream come true.

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] doesn’t lose often, but he did for a good cause this past weekend in Brazil.

On Saturday at Demo Fight 18 in Salvador, Bahia, Almeida (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) competed in a charity MMA bout against Alvaro Borges’ dream come true.

Borges, an athlete with Down syndrome, kept his distance and attempted spin kicks before he dragged the UFC heavyweight contender to the canvas. He mounted Almeida at one point, then worked for a triangle-armbar from guard – and found the tap.

After the win, Borges was awarded a championship belt and celebrated with Almeida and others inside the cage during the official announcement.

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The win moved Borges to 2-0 in charity exhibition bouts. He previously defeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach Pablo Passos, also by armbar, at Demo Fight 17 in July.

Almeida, 32, returns to professional competition March 9 at UFC 299 against Curtis Blaydes (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC). The bout could have title implications. Almeida holds UFC wins over Derrick Lewis and Jairzinho Rozenstruik among others.