MMA Preview – Jailton Almeida vs Alexander Romanov at UFC 302
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JAILTON ALMEIDA VS ALEXANDER ROMANOV FACTS
When is UFC 302? Sunday 1st June, 2024 - 01:00 (UK)
Where is UFC 302? Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 302? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 302
What channel is UFC 302 on? TNT Sports 1
Where can I stream UFC 302? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
JAILTON ALMEIDA VS ALEXANDER ROMANOV LOWDOWN
Jailton Almeida (20-3) heads to New Jersey hoping to redeem himself. He was steamrolling his way to a title shot by ragdolling heavyweight lumps. He rolled over his first six UFC opponents including three submissions and two knockouts. He then outpointed Derrick Lewis (2023) to cap off a 15-fight win streak. He proceeded to outwrestle one of the best wrestlers in the division in Curtis Blaydes (2024). However, he underestimated his power and left his head exposed to hammer fists and wilted in the second round to suffer his second knockout loss.
Alexander Romanov (17-2) was enjoying a similar streak until getting humbled by Marcin Tybura (2022) at UFC 278. He squashed his first five UFC opponents before gassing out and losing a split decision to cause the first blemish on his record. Alexander Volkov caused the second with a TKO, but he responded my outpointing fellow wrestler Blagoy Ivanov (2023) bumping his UFC record up to 6-2.
JAILTON ALMEIDA VS ALEXANDER ROMANOV PREDICTION
Romanov is a beast of a grappler and will be about 30 lbs heavier on the night. However, Almeida is good enough to out wrestle and out work him for a full three rounds. He took down Blaydes with relative ease and we expect him to waste no time in doing the same to Romanov.
As the fight goes on, the stronger Almeida will look as Romanov will fade quickly trying to defend the takedowns. Expect the Brazilian to open up with his usual front kick before shooting in. He will have to be more cautious in leaving his head exposed as Romanov has the power to knock him out.
We expect him to have learnt his lesson and successfully take Romanov down and break him down until a TKO or submission opens up. Considering the odds and the fact that this will come down to the grappling, Romanov is worth a small punt.
Prediction: Almeida via Submission
Value Bet: Romanov to win
