While Jailton
Almeida is glad to be rebooked against Curtis
Blaydes, he would have preferred the five-round stipulation of
their original fight.
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Almeida and Blaydes were supposed to headline UFC Sao Paulo this
past November before “Razor” was forced out with an injury. Blaydes
was replaced on short notice by Derrick
Lewis, who went on drop a lopsided decision against Almeida.
Almeida and Blaydes have now been rebooked for UFC
299, which goes down on Saturday at the Kaseya Center in
Miami.
While their main-event bout was for five rounds, the UFC 299 clash
will be for three rounds, which Almeida believes favors his
opponent.
“Nothing changes at all, he is the same fighter,” Almeida told
BJPenn.com. “So the camp was the same too… This
changes a lot, mainly because I think I have the gas tank for 10
rounds, and Blaydes in other fights gasses out in the
[championship] rounds, so, I think three rounds is better for him,
but the result will be the same at the end, I will leave as the
winner.
“Everyone knows what is my game, but no one knows how many ways I
have to put my game to work, it will be the same as usual, same
mentality… Like we said here in our state. Bahia is punch to the
head and maul on the ground.”
Almeida is currently riding a 16-fight winning streak that includes
eight UFC victories. The only decision win of his career came in
his last outing against Lewis. If he gets his hand raised against
Blaydes, “Malhadinho” expects an interim title shot against
Tom
Aspinall, who has already expressed interest in fighting the
winner of the UFC 299 heavyweight clash. Almeida has two dates in
mind for a potential clash against Aspinall, either UFC 301 in May
or the promotion’s rumored return to Manchester in July.
“I hope I can take a title shot against Tom
Aspinall after this fight,” Almeida said. “The champ already
said the winner will be next. I’ll be on a 16-fight winning streak
and 8-0 in the UFC. So I think I deserve the title fight. Maybe in
Brazil, 301? I’m in. Maybe in Manchester? I’m in too… I can fight
in two months against Aspinall, after Pereira was scheduled to
fight at [UFC] 300, everybody is saying [they] don’t have anyone to
headline this card. So, what is better than the heavyweight title
of the world? Nothing. Let’s do it.”