Join us as we preview a hot UFC prospect from this week’s UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Marques MMA event. Read on for our complete UFC in Vegas 47 betting guide – taking a first look at our hottest prospect of the week, Jailton Almeida and his opponent Danilo Marques. Including updated UFC odds and our free expert UFC picks.
UFC Light Heavyweight Bout
Saturday, February 5, 2022 – 10:05 PM EST at the UFC Apex
Fresh of a dominant performance on Dana White's Contender Series, Brazilian standout mixed martial artist Jailton Almeida will make his highly anticipated UFC debut this Saturday in Las Vegas.
"I've been fighting since I was born. It's in my blood.", Almeida told Sherdog.com. "My father and uncle are former pugilists. My father was the Brazilian vice-champion. My uncle was the Brazilian amateur champion. I started boing from the cradle with my father. At age 11, I started Jiu-Jitsu. Over the years, I've been making my name in Jiu-Jitsu. Then, in 2012, I switched to MMA." He continued.
Having grown up around combat sports since birth, now aged 30-year-old, Almeida is arguably entering the UFC during the prime fighting years of his career. After suffering his first professional MMA losses in 2017 and 2018, respectively, Almeida is now riding a 9-fight win streak, with all of those contests ending via submission or knockout. To further extend his impressive resume, he won four grappling bouts in 2021, finishing three of his opponents with rear-naked chokes.
Brazil is widely recognized as one of the world's most prosperous countries for providing MMA talent, making Almeida all the more impressive as he's the number one ranked light heavyweight out of Brazil (outside of significant promotions).
Almeida displayed his grappling prowess when competing and overcoming the dangerous sambo/wrestling background of Nasrudin Nasrudinov on DWCS - the fight that subsequently earned him a UFC contract. However, you cannot overlook his striking offense; a boxing background has assisted him in claiming five victims by way of knockout.
With that said, relentless grappling pressure is where he truly shines. His cardio seems to have held up at 205lbs, and there aren't many heavier weighted fighters who can handle the consistent work rate he delivers. Creatively, his takedown attempts are diverse, with powerful double-legs, strong body locks, and great outside leg trips at his disposal.
Fellow Brazilian Danilo Marques (11-3-0) enters Saturday's contest with the UFC experience advantage, and he'll possess a rare size advantage over Almeida, something the newcomer hasn't regularly dealt with. Regardless, Almeida's overall combat sports experience tops that of his opponent.
Fighters entering their UFC debuts aren't usually priced at -400 on the moneyline, but it's clear to see the oddsmakers are incredibly conscious of Almeida's skill level. For this reason, we'll have to find value in the proposition betting market.
I expect Almeida will eventually have his way in the grappling exchanges, and one mistake by Marques will cost him a submission loss.
UFC Pick: Almeida to Win by Submission (+115) [1u returns 1.15u] with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.