Jon Jones’ heavyweight debut is finally official for March 4, and Brazilian prospect Jailton Almeida would have the time of his life if one day he gets to face the UFC star in the future.
With Jones set to battle Ciryl Gane for the vacant title at UFC 285 on March 4, three years after Jones’ last defense of the 205-pound championship over Dominick Reyes, Almeida sees stars aligning as he decides to make heavyweight home following light heavyweight and heavyweight wins inside the octagon.
“Many people come to me and say, ‘Man, did you see that Jon Jones is a heavyweight now, and you’re a heavyweight?’ I know that. “Imagine booking Jon Jones and you?” Almeida stated on the latest episode of MMA Fighting Podcast Trocacao Franka .. “I am a UFC fighter. I also work for UFC. It will be an amazing dream to face Jon Jones at heavyweight. I am a huge Jon Jones fan. I’m ready for anything.”
Almeida has always complained about the lack of Brazilian competition, saying that few fighters would be willing to fight against such promising prospects in Brazil. The scenario hasn’t change much in the UFC, he said, after wins over Danilo Marques, Parker Porter and Anton Turkalj.
“It’s frustrating to train for a fight and it fells through and no one wants to step in,” said Almeida, who meets Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC 283 this Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “I went through that in Brazil and thought it would be different in the UFC, that people would be willing to, but the same thing has happened again.
“Those in the ranking don’t want to fight someone that’s pretty much nothing in the UFC yet, they don’t want to take risks. They’re right, they want to stay ranked and maybe fight someone around them instead of someone who has only fought three times in the UFC. Who wants to take risks? Nobody wants to take risks, and it’s their right.”
“Malhadinho” is looking for a slow rise up the ranks, but he expects to be listed among the five top heavyweights at UFC by year’s end — and believes that “Bones Jones” will still be the champion when he gets his chance to take the UFC throne.
” We saw that we would do better at heavyweight to climb the ranks and get the belt faster, particularly with my style,” Almeida stated. “The division is shallow and doesn’t have many Brazilians. I’ll stay at heavyweight. I fight well at 233 pounds, with the power of a 275-pounder.”
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/1/21/23557102/jailton-almeida-ready-to-fight-heavyweight-jon-jones-ufc-283?rand=96749
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