UFC 334: Donte Johnson vs Cesar Almeida Preview & Prediction
by Gabriel Sheehan ·
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Donte Johnson faces the sternest test of his UFC career to date on the early prelims, taking on Cesar Almeida in a 185 pound showcase.
Donte Johnson vs Cesar Almeida facts
What time are Donte Johnson and Cesar Almeida expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit? Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 334
What TV channel is UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit main card
Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit (Heavyweight)
Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes (Women’s Bantamweight)
Caio Borralho vs Yousri Belgaroui (Middleweight)
Uros Medic vs Kevin Holland (Welterweight)
Bilal Hasan vs Luis Gurule (Flyweight)
UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit prelims
Stephen Thompson vs Charles Radtke (Welterweight)
Drew Dober vs Chris Duncan (Lightweight)
Jim Miller vs Terrance McKinney (Lightweight)
Donte Johnson vs Cesar Almeida (Middleweight)
Jared Gordon vs Melquizael Costa (Lightweight)
Macy Chiasson vs Beatriz Mesquita (Women’s Bantamweight)
Evan Elder vs Samuel Sanches (Lightweight)
Juan Diaz vs Alateng Heili (Bantamweight)
Donte Johnson: "Lockjaw" aims to push his UFC record to 4-0 and remain undefeated
Undefeated across nine fights as a pro, Donte Johnson (9-0) took less than a round to dispose of Eric McConico in his last bout. Instantly thrusting himself into the spotlight for moving two weight classes up to heavyweight just to fight on the Contender Series last year, Johnson planished Darion Abbey in the first round to earn himself a spot on the roster. He handled Sedriques Dumas with ease in his debut, but struggled with Cody Brundage in his sophomore appearance, raising questions around his actual ceiling in the middleweight division. An awkward pressure boxer, Johnson’s defence looks like it may encounter problems in the face of an elite striker.
Cesar Almeida: Can "Cesinha" rebound from his first KO loss in MMA?
An elite former kickboxer with a win over Alex Pereira, Cesar Almeida (7-3) entered the promotion with a considerable degree of hype after a win on the Contender Series. “Cesinha” is 3-3 since, earning two brutal stoppages, but struggling with fighters who have leant on the grappling to beat him. In many ways, that was what made his last fight against Damian Pinas so shocking; despite seemingly having a considerable edge in terms of technical kickboxing and being well on the way to winning the first round, Almeida found himself staring up at the lights after being caught with a piston like straight right from “The Baba Yaga.”
Donte Johnson vs Cesar Almeida prediction
I think that Almeida has a serious chance to win this one. He's an elite former kickboxer with one-shot power in his hands, and Johnson's goofy striking and iffy defence could leave him wide open to a murderous counter. Throw in the fact that Johnson struggled with Cody Brundage and there's definitely value in Almeida as an underdog here.
However, I can't escape the feeling that Johnson simply has more ways to win this one. "Lockjaw" has got KO power of his own, and while Almeida is the more technical striker of the two men, his last fight showed that he's not immune to getting caught and put away himself. Johnson will also wrestle aggressively when he needs to, and "Cesinha" has been soundly outwrestled on multiple occasions by contentiously lesser grapplers; Roman Kopylov is primarily a striker and he still took Almeida down five times.
As such, I think that if Johnson can avoid running into a sharp counter in the early goings, he should mix the martial arts well enough across three rounds to win a decision. I see him wearing on Almeida in the clinch, sapping the Brazilian's energy, setting up takedowns, and racking up control time to earn the judges' nod.
Prediction: Donte Johnson to win by decision
