Preview: UFC 279 Prelims

Catchweight

Jailton Almeida (16-2, 2-0 UFC) vs. Anton Turkalj (8-0, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: Almeida (-660), Turkalj (+490)

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This should be an exciting next step in the continued adventures of Almeida in the UFC. “Malhadinho” quickly proved why he was considered a top light heavyweight prospect when given the chance. In both his contract-earning fight on the Contender Series and in his UFC debut, Almeida quickly went about getting his opponents to the mat and finding his way to a finish. Almeida was slated to keep his momentum rolling at 205 pounds in May, but with a late opponent change, that pivoted to a heavyweight bout against Parker Porter. That fight played out much the same as Almeida’s previous outings—the Brazilian got a quick takedown and won via submission shortly thereafter—and it looks like the move up to heavyweight may now be a more permanent change. Almeida was initially slated to attempt to break into the heavyweight rankings against Shamil Abdurakhimov in a winnable fight, but with Abdurakhimov unable to make the trip to the cage, he now splits the difference in terms of weight to meet a Swedish newcomer in Turkalj at a 220-pound catchweight. Hopes were high that “The Pleasure Man” would impress on the Contender Series in July. Turkalj made his name with some quick wins on the back of some reckless but dynamic offense, and while he lived up to the hype in terms of his pre-fight charisma, his performance itself was relatively lackluster. Turkalj was content to control Acacio dos Santos and grind out a victory with little in the way of actual action. Still, he finds himself under UFC contract a shade over a month later thanks to the promotion’s need for a late-notice replacement, and he could prove to be an obstacle for Almeida. Turkalj is also an impressive physical force for a light heavyweight and can hold his own as a wrestler and grappler, while Almeida is still relatively unproven in deeper waters against an opponent who can survive early. Of course, those concerns are also true of Turkalj; and since Almeida does appear to be the more aggressive and potent submission artist, it seems likely that Turkalj is the one who finds himself in trouble first if this turns into a grappling match.

The pick is Almeida via second-round submission.

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