Jailton Almeida speaks out after UFC controversy and short notice fight booking

Heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida says he felt disappointed after comments made by UFC commentator Daniel Cormier, as the Brazilian prepares for his next bout at UFC Vegas 113 in Las Vegas.

Speaking to Ag. Fight, Almeida explained why he accepted a short notice matchup against Rizvan Kuniev after his loss to Alexander Volkov.

“Actually, I always stay active. Even when I don’t have a fight, I’m helping my teammates. When the UFC offered the fight three weeks ago, with the option to renew the contract, I talked to my manager and we decided to accept this first fight of the new contract”, he shared.

Almeida described Kuniev as a tough opponent, saying: “Kuniev is a very dangerous guy, that’s why nobody agreed to fight him,” he said.

“Everyone thought he had won the fight with Curtis Blaydes, but I’m going there to play my game, come out with the victory and get back on the path to the belt again.”

Reflecting on his recent defeat, Almeida added: “There is no defeat. There is learning. I controlled the fight from the top, but I lacked aggressiveness, obviously. I was trained for that, but I wasn’t confident enough to execute it. I think that was the only detail.”

He also addressed criticism from Cormier: “Cormier is an exceptional guy. I always joked with him, but I think [what he said about me is] unprofessional of him. Because the guy was whispering about another athlete. Even though he’s a UFC employee, he has no right to do that. I think it was disrespectful to me.”