Jailton Almeida’s Grapple-Heavy Game Plan Against Alexander Volkov Backfires – UFC 321 Highlights
Alexander Volkov spent the majority of the fight on his back, but he still walked away with a big win over Jailton Almeida at UFC 321.
As expected, Almeida came out and immediately shot for a takedown. He easily put Volkov on his back, but with a complete lack of offense, Volkov was able to sweep, getting into top control. Volkov momentarily moved into full mount, dropping a couple of elbows before Almeida adjusted.
With the clock winding down in the first, Almeida was content to bury his head and let Volkov tee off on him, potentially surrendering a 10-9 to the Russian.
Almeida utilizes the high-crotch to score another takedown mere seconds into the second stanza. Unfortunately, that’s where the offense ceased from Almeida, who was content to just hold position, even when Volkov willingly gave up his back.
With 90 seconds to go in the stanza, referee Marc Goddard stood the fighters up due to a lack of action. Of course, that didn’t stop Almeida from immediately landing another takedown, putting them right back into the same position.
Volkov attempted to flip the script in round three, pressing Almeida against the fence and landing some strikes in the clinch. But before long, the Brazilian landed another takedown, putting Volkov on his back once again. Still, Volkov was the more active fighter off his back, landing a series of strikes and elbows.
With Almeida content to just ride his opponent, Goddard once again stood them up. That prompted Almeida to secure one final takedown, much to the chagrin of the live crowd.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, fans in Abu Dhabi showered both fighters with boos, though we suspect a majority of those were aimed directly at Almeida.
Official Result: Alexander Volkov def. Jailton Almeida via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).
