UFC 321: Alexander Volkov vs Jailton Almeida Preview & Prediction
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
The second bout on the card could well determine the next title challenger at 265 pounds, as Alexander Volkov takes on Jailton Almeida in a high stakes heavyweight affair.
Alexander Volkov vs Jailton Almeida facts
What time are Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 321? Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Where can I get tickets for UFC 321? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 321
What TV channel is UFC 321 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC 321? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 321 main card
Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane (Heavyweight)
Virna Jandiroba vs Mackenzie Dern (Women’s Strawweight)
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Mario Bautista (Bantamweight)
Alexander Volkov vs Jailton Almeida (Heavyweight)
Aleksandar Rakic vs Azamat Murzakanov (Light Heavyweight)
UFC 321 prelims
Nasrat Haqparast vs Quillan Salkilld (Lightweight
Ikram Aliskerov vs Park Jun-yong (Middlweight)
L'udovit Klein vs Mateusz Rebecki (Lightweight)
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs Matheus Camilo (Lightweight)
Valter Walker vs Louie Sutherland (Heavyweight)
Nathaniel Wood vs Jose Miguel Delgado (Featherweight)
Hamdy Abdelwahab vs Chris Barnett (Heavyweight)
Azat Maksum vs Mitch Raposo (Flyweight)
Jaqueline Amorim vs Mizuki Inoue (Women’s Strawweight)
Alexander Volkov: "Drago" looks to finally earn a shot at UFC gold
A staple of the heavyweight division for almost a decade, many thought that Alexander Volkov (38-11) had done enough to earn victory and a title shot over Cyril Gane at UFC 318, only for the judges to snap his four fight win streak with a split decision in favor of "Bon Gamin". The 6'9 "Drago" is an elite kickboxer, with excellent kicks and nasty power in his hands to complement his enormous frame. However, while the towering Russian mostly shown solid takedown defense in his career to date, Volkov has been grounded by elite wrestlers before.
Jailton Almeida: Can "Malhadinho" insert himself into the title picture?
With an 8-1 record and seven finishes since joining the UFC via DWCS, it has always felt like a foregone conclusion that Jailton Almeida (22-3) would eventually make his way to the top of the division. An elite grappler with smothering control and a wide arsenal of submissions, "Malhadinho's" sole loss in the promotion came against divisional mainstay, Curtis Blaydes. The Brazilian was winning in dominant fashion, only to succumb to a sudden second round KO loss via elbows after shooting in for a takedown. As such, there's still question marks over how well Almeida can handle the best fighters in the division.
Alexander Volkov vs Jailton Almeida prediction
"Drago" has been comically hard done by the UFC here. Volkov was completely robbed by Cyril Gane at UFC 310, snapping an impressive four fight win streak. 10 months later, it's "Bon Gamin" who finds himself in an undisputed title fight against Tom Aspinall. Dana White told Volkov to his face that he got screwed over the by the judges, only to gleefully feed him to the worst match up in the entire division as a reward.
Almeida may have had his aura dampened through a KO loss to Curtis Blaydes at UFC 299, but he arguably remains the best pure grappler that the division has to offer, as well as a stylistic nightmare for "Drago". It's also worth noting that loss came against the same Curtis Blaydes who soundly outwrestled Volkov in their main event tilt back in 2020; "Malhadinho" scored nine takedowns against "Razor" before getting KO'd. Almeida remains perfect in his UFC run outside of that loss; out of his eight UFC victories, only Derrick Lewis has even survived to see the final bell.
Volkov is as tough and skilled as they come at heavyweight. He's got superb striking and could well prove the oddsmakers wrong with a vintage performance here, sticking and moving until Almeida eventually wilts under the accumulation of shots. It would be a fairytale ending for him to score the upset and earn a title shot, but the pick is for "Malhadinho's" relentless pressure grappling to eventually pay dividends.
Prediction: Jailton Almeida to win
