The lone heavyweights on the UFC Vegas 113 card, Rizvan Kuniev and Jailton Almeida faced off in Las Vegas in what was a huge opportunity for Russia’s Kuniev.
With original opponent Ryan Spann out, Kuniev received a serious upgrade, going from the unranked Spann to #6-ranked Almeida. For a fighter who had struggled to stay active in the UFC, it was a major blessing for Kuniev, if he could capitalize.
Early on, Almedia focused on driving Kuniev into the fence, though Kuniev was able to get one underhook in and come off the cage, then reverse and get Jailton there. Kuniev looked to sneak in an elbow, but Almeida took that moment to try and duck for a takedown. Neither man was successful and they went back to the fence. The ref, calling for action, finally restarted them at center. That led to Almeida punching his way in, and Kuniev instead getting in control and taking the Brazilian to the fence again.
That led to a second restart by ref “Big” Dan Miragliotta. After some feints and misstarts, Kuniev fired a kick, closed the distance, let hands fly, and got Almeida back to the fence. They’d end the round with one last clinch and a quick exchange.
Lots of room for improvement in round two. Almeida got a low kick going. He’d also shoot for a takedown, but Kuniev easily fought that off, putting the Brazilian on the fence again. He ripped the body once, then again. Added a knee. Almeida essentially stood there, as if waiting for another restart by the ref. Not exactly a winning strategy. Off the fence, Almeida got a few short punches in, while Kuniev worked his jab and threw combos to close the distance.
After two low-action rounds, it was back to the fence in the third, with the small group of fans in the newly renovated Meta Apex letting their displeasure be heard. Kuniev was in control more often than not, and Almeida just seemed to have little answer while in that position. 90 seconds in he’d free himself and fire a couple quick punches to the body. Kuniev response with a hook, and Almeida finally attacked with another volley of his own. And then… back to the fence. This time, Almeida escaped quickly. Kuniev landed a jab. Almeida fired a right hand, getting Kuniev to back up.
Perhaps the wildest thing about Alemeida vs. Kuniev was that it turned out to be a heavyweight fight where neither man seemed to ever be in danger of being knocked out. With just under two minutes left, the ref pulled them off the fence once again. Big Dan was doing all he could do to force an entertaining bout. Almeida opted to fire a combination, with Kuniev pinning him again. Almeida tried a trip, but the Russian stayed standing. More stalling. Another restart by Big Dan. Almeida pointed to center, and Kuniev actually obliged, swinging.
If only the whole fight had been as exciting. 10 seconds of action in a 15 minute fight wasn’t what fight fans were looking for. Kuniev took the decision, and might even crack the rankings, but there were no real winners in Rizvan Kuniev vs. Jailton Alemeida.
Official Result: Rizvan Kuniev def. Jailton Almeida by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
