Jailton Almeida ready to channel inner ‘Khabib’ after UFC 299 opponent Curtis Blaydes compared himself to Justin Gaethje

Jailton Almeida references Khabib Nurmagomedov after Curtis Blaydes wants to fight like Justin Gaethje.

Jailton Almeida ready to channel inner ‘Khabib’ after UFC 299 opponent Curtis Blaydes compared himself to Justin Gaethje

Jailton Almeida and Curtis Blaydes compares themselves to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje ahead of their fight at UFC 299 (via Imago)

UFC 299 is one of the most anticipated fight cards of the year, featuring many prominent names. It is stacked to the point that heavyweight contenders Jailton Almeida and Curtis Blaydes would fight in the prelims. Ahead of the fight, both men went back and forth, mentioning Justin Gaethje and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

In a recent interview, Curtis Blaydes previewed his fight with Jailton Almeida and stated he would follow the game plan similar to Justin Gaethje. He referred to Gaethje’s defensive use of wrestling to force a striking battle. As such, Almeida had a fitting response to it. Here is what he said:

It's an interesting thing he is saying. Especially because if he's comparing himself to (Justin) Gaethje, how he just wants to use his wrestling, then I'll be Khabib (Nurmagomedov) for him. That's not a problem. I'll get him down and I'll wear him out...and get a submission. I'm going to finish him. If that's his plan to keep it standing, with all due respect to his skill and everything, he's in for a surprise.
Jailton Almeida (via UFC 299 media day)
YouTube video

Justin Gaethje was an All-American wrestler in his collegiate days. But in MMA, he mostly refuses to use his wrestling skills offensively and only uses them for defensive maneuvers. As such, Curtis Blaydes wanted to follow that strategy and keep the fight standing against Jailton Almeida. The Brazilian referred to Gaethje’s fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov, insinuating he would win against Blaydes with his superior wrestling skills.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov won his fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. After a striking battle in the first round, he took ‘The Highlight’ down and submitted him easily. That’s the exact way Almeida wanted his fight to go against Curtis Blaydes. However, ‘Razor’ has a competitive wrestling pedigree, which would pose problems for ‘Malhadinho.’ As such, this fight goes down at UFC 299 this weekend.

Jailton Almeida believes he is a superior grappler than Curtis Blaydes

Curtis Blaydes was hailed for his grappling prowess in the heavyweight division for so long. As such, his opponent, Jailton Almeida, challenged ‘Razor’ to decide on the ‘best heavyweight grappler title’ at UFC 299.

Jailton Almeida (L) -Curtis Blaydes (R)
Jailton Almeida (L) -Curtis Blaydes (R) (Via La Sueur/Reuters)

In his interview with the UFC, Jailton Almeida previewed his fight against Curtis Blaydes. Here is what he said:

Let’s see who’s the best grappler in the division. He calls himself the best grappler, but my time has come. I’m humble, my feet are on the ground and I’m putting in the work showing what I can do, so, on Saturday, we will see what will happen in the arena and who truly is the best grappler in the division.

Jailton Almeida (via UFC)

Jailton Almeida vs. Curtis Blaydes has more stakes at hand despite being on the prelims of UFC 299. An Almeida win could propel him towards his dream fight for the title next. Malhadinho is undefeated and on a seven-fight win streak in the UFC. On the other hand, Blaydes would aim to return to winning ways after his loss to Sergei Pavlowich. As such, this fight is an important one in the heavyweight division.

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