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The future of the UFC’s heavyweight division has arrived.
Jailton Almeida hardly broke a sweat in a complete and utter domination of Jairzinho Rozenstruik this past Saturday in the main event of the UFC on ABC card, winning by submission in the first round.
This was a master class in jiujitsu. Almeida avoided two punches from Rozenstruik, then landed a takedown on his second attempt. He kept Rozenstruik grounded for more than three minutes, then continued his attack by mounting him, beginning a ground-and-pound attack, taking his back and finishing him with a rear naked choke.
“Rozenstruik talked about stopping me, about stopping this train, but this train is on the loose,” says Almeida (19–2) speaking through a translator. “I knew I was going to impose my game plan. I got him down, and then it went the way I thought it would.”
Almeida ended a two-fight win streak for Rozenstruik (13–5). This win will catapult him into the top 10 of the heavyweight division, likely landing in the ninth spot. The victory marks 14 consecutive wins for Almeida, as well as his fourteenth finish in the first round.
Remarkably, his takedown and jiujitsu prowess is so elite that he has been hit with only two strikes in his five UFC bouts.
The consequence of being taken down by him is dire. Almeida effectively buries opponents with his pressure on top. When he comes down with the pressure, at least thus far, he has been unstoppable.
“As soon as I get into the position I want, it is over,” says Almeida. “I am ready to go five rounds. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to show it, but I can strike, too. The world is going to be surprised with my striking power.”
Almeida’s next fight will most likely take place in five months. He is eyeing a return to the cage in October. There is no shortage of compelling opponents for him—Sergei Pavlovich, Ciryl Gane, and Curtis Blaydes all immediately come to mind—but it is Tai Tuivasa whom Almeida called out.
“I want to fight in October in either Abu Dhabi or Brazil, and I want to fight Tai Tuivasa,” says Almeida. “I want to show I am the best heavyweight in the world.”
Anthony Smith fails to deliver in his return
Anthony Smith made his return to the cage this past weekend, fighting Johnny Walker in his first bout since last July. But it did not go as planned for Smith.
Walker (21–7) controlled all three rounds, particularly the first and third, and won by unanimous decision. He was a step quicker than Smith (36–18) all fight, significantly slowing his forward progress with a resounding 51 leg kicks. The win is Walker’s third in a row and puts him in discussion for a title bout against reigning light heavyweight champ Jamahal Hill.
Smith now enters a crossroads in his career. He did not enter the bout with any retirement plans, but this was so largely one-sided in Walker’s favor. What comes next for Smith? He has proved to be an interesting analyst for the sport, yet he still has dreams of winning the light heavyweight title. Had he defeated Walker, he would have been on the short list of contenders. But that, clearly, is no longer the case.
The next bout will be extremely important for Smith, who desperately needs to crack the win column and regain some momentum.
Fabian Edwards has the potential to become Bellator’s next breakout star
A trademark of Scott Coker is building MMA stars.
That was the backbone of his tenure overseeing Strikeforce, and history is repeating itself in Bellator. The newest potential breakout fighter is Fabian Edwards, who defeated Gegard Mousasi this past Friday in Paris, France, at Bellator 296.
Edwards, whose brother is reigning UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, has title aspirations of his own. After defeating Mousasi by unanimous decision, Edwards (12–2) will now have a shot to win some gold in an upcoming bout against Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen.
Mousasi (49-9-2) has now dropped two in a row, and the loss effectively removes him from the title picture. He turns 38 this summer, and his immediate future will be spent seeking win No. 50.
Bellator 296 also featured Brent Primus upsetting Mansour Barnaoui in a Lightweight World Grand Prix quarterfinal bout. It was a redeeming victory for the former Bellator lightweight champ, as it ended Barnaoui’s eight-fight win streak and earned him a title shot against Usman Nurmagomedov in the semifinals of the tourney. In addition to the excitement of Nurmagomedov against Primus, another fight to look forward to is the upcoming middleweight title bout.
The undefeated middleweight champ Eblen (13–0) will defend his title against Edwards this September in Dublin, another phenomenal opportunity for Bellator to showcase its homegrown talent.
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
