Jailton Almeida isn’t sweating the Alex Pereira-to-heavyweight chatter. Ahead of his pivotal showdown with Alexander Volkov at UFC 321 on Yas Island, the Brazilian contender said a potential Pereira move won’t derail his run to a title shot.
“The talk about him and Jon Jones is great… a fantastic superfight,” Almeida said at media day. “But the division’s been in turmoil. Let him do a superfight. If he eventually comes to heavyweight, fine, but I think he’s looking for something big like that not necessarily being part of the division.”
Almeida (22-3, 8-1 UFC) meets Volkov (38-11, 12-5 UFC) on Saturday’s main card in what functions as a No. 1 contender bout behind the night’s headliner, where Tom Aspinall defends the heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane. With Jon Jones out and the belt recently unified, a statement win could slot the victor directly into the title picture.
Respect for Volkov—And a Scorecard Take
Volkov enters off a debated decision loss to Gane. Almeida didn’t hide his view of that fight:
“After watching, I really thought Volkov won,” he said. “But the judges are there to do their job… it is what it is.”
What’s at Stake
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For Almeida: A dominant win cements his case as the next challenger, regardless of Pereira headlines.
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For Volkov: Beating a surging finisher restores momentum and makes his claim impossible to ignore.
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For the division: Whether Pereira chases a Jon Jones superfight or not, Saturday’s winner provides the clearest, cleanest contender for Aspinall–Gane fallout.
Almeida isn’t letting fantasy bookings dictate his reality. Handle Volkov, and the title conversation will have to go through him Pereira or no Pereira.
Tom Aspinall Brushes Off Favorite Status, Praises Ciryl Gane Ahead of UFC 321
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
