LAS VEGAS – Dana White doesn’t often sign older fighters, but he saw something in Cesar Almeida.
Former Glory kickboxer Almeida (4-0) earned a UFC contract Tuesday when he defeated Lucas Fernando (9-2) at Dana White’s Contender Series 57.
White usually eyes younger talent, but respects the resume the 35-year-old Almeida came in with.
“The last guy is the other guy you would question (why he got a contract),” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “I’m not looking for 35-year-old contenders. But 47 wins in kickboxing with 27 knockouts. Now he’s 4-0 in MMA with three knockouts.
“If you look at the fact that he came from a kickboxing background and look at what he overcame tonight – he was down on the ground, he was in the bottom position, he got back up – he fought a hell of a fight for a guy who’s 35 and has fought his whole career in kickboxing. So out of respect, I’m giving this kid a shot.”
When asked how the UFC plans on moving forward with Almeida, White said he thinks the Brazilian is ready to jump right into the mix at middleweight.
“Here’s the thing about him: He was in some bad positions tonight that a guy with 50 something kickboxing fights you’d think would be in big trouble,” White said. “(He was) totally composed like a vet and a pro, took his time, worked his way out of positions, never freaked out, never panicked. First of all, he’s not a guy at his age that you sit on and try to move around (with the matchmaking).
“You bring him in and you throw him in there. He’s got the experience. He looked damn well-rounded tonight to me. We’ll see what he’s got when he gets in the UFC. I’m not looking for 35-year-old contenders, but you have to respect the man, his resume and what he did here tonight. So he’s going to get a shot.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 57.
