Shamil Abdurakhimov and Jailton Almeida finally get to fight after a couple of cancellations. The bout was earlier scheduled at UFC 279 and UFC 280, but Abdurakhimov withdrew both times due to visa issues and for undisclosed reasons, respectively. The Dagestan-born Russian Shamil Abdurakhimov is a mixed martial arts veteran, and, at forty-one years old, he is number fifteen in the UFC Heavyweight rankings. His opponent, Brazilian Jailton Almeida, is ten years younger and is relatively new in the UFC, being unbeaten in three fights. The fight is slated for the early prelims of UFC 283, held at Jeunesse Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this weekend.
MMA: UFC Heavyweight
Location: Jeunesse Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Where to watch: ESPN+, Supersport
Date: 22.1.2023, 3:30
Shamil Abdurakhimov
The Russian heavyweight comes into this bout on the back of three losses by knockouts. Unlike many heavyweights from Dagestan, he came into MMA from a kickboxing and sanshou background. He was a five-time Russian national champion in Sanshou. All the same, “Abrek” has acquired decent freestyle wrestling takedowns making him a threat in striking and wrestling. His recent losses have come against top-ranked Sergei Pavlovich, Chris Daukaus, and Curtis Blaydes. Some of his famous wins include over Marcin Tybura and Andrei Arlovski.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 41
- Height: 6’ 3”
- Weight: 258 Ib
- Reach: 76”
- Record: 20-7-0
Jailton Almeida
The Brazilian fighter is a BJJ specialist picking up Jiu-Jitsu as a teenager. He is a powerful striker after learning boxing from an early age. At 31, he is one of the most promising BJJ artists in the heavyweight class in the UFC. Almeida made his UFC debut in early 2022 at Light Heavyweight, knocking out compatriot Danilo Marques in the first round. He fought twice more in 2022, competing at Heavyweight, and earned two submission wins over Parker Porter and Anton Turkalj. Before joining the UFC, he won the Thunder Fight Light Heavyweight Championship.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 31
- Height: 6’ 3”
- Weight: 224 Ib
- Reach: 79”
- Record: 17-2-0
Betting Odds
Jailton Almeida is a massive favorite in this bout. On Coinplay, he is 1.088 odds to win, with Shamil Abdurakhimov to win at 7 odds. Bet 365 prices Jailton Almeida to win in round one at 1.61 odds and the Brazilian to win by decision or technical decision at 8.00 odds. On 1xbet, Shamil Abdurakhimov to win by KO/TKO is 13 odds, while Almeida to win by submission in round one is 2.00 odds.
