LAS VEGAS – Curtis Blaydes thinks he has the grappling advantage over Jailton Almeida.
Blaydes (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) meets Almeida (19-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in a UFC Fight Night main event Nov. 4 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In a battle of two of the strongest grapplers in the division, Blaydes sees himself prevailing in that department.
“I like the matchup, though,” Blaydes told MMA Junkie at UFC X during International Fight Week. “I do like Almeida. I think he’s going to come in and look to grapple with me, and I feel like I’m always going to be the better grappler.”
Blaydes doesn’t remember the last time someone tried to shoot on him but welcomes the challenge of Almeida’s grappling.
“It’s been a minute, and I think he’s probably going to think, ‘Oh, he hasn’t had to defend a takedown in a while so he’s going to be a little rusty.’ I’ve been wrestling since 2004. I’m not going to be rusty. My sprawls are always going to be 100 percent, and I look forward to the challenge of him trying to take me down and me being the striker in this matchup.”
Blaydes doesn’t see himself getting stopped in any grappling exchanges. All four of Blaydes’ losses have come by knockout, so he says Almeida will have to put his lights out if he wants to get his hands raised.
“If he wants to play jiu-jitsu on the bottom, that’s fine with me,” Blaydes said. “He’ll lose the rounds and I don’t believe I’m going to get caught in any slick submissions. You’re going to have to knock me out. That’s the only way you’re going to be able to beat me.”
