Alexander Volkov spent most of the fight on his back, but still walked away with a big win over Jaylton Almeida at UFC 321.
As expected, Almeida comes out and immediately looks for a takedown. He easily put Volkov on his back, but his complete lack of offensive power allowed Volkov to sweep and get into top control. Volkov momentarily transitioned to full mount and dropped several elbows before Almeida adjusted.
As the clock ticked down in the first match, Almeida was content to bury his head and let Volkov tee off, potentially surrendering to the Russian at 10-9.
Almeida utilized a high crotch to score another takedown just seconds into the second stanza. Unfortunately, despite Volkov’s willingness to yield his hips, Almeida was content to hold his position and the attack stopped there.
With 90 seconds left, referee Mark Goddard called the players to their feet for lack of action. Of course, that didn’t stop Almeida from quickly scoring another takedown to put them back in the same position.
Volkov flipped the script in the third round, pushing Almeida against the fence and trying to land a few blows in the clinch. But soon the Brazilian landed another takedown, flipping Volkov onto his back again. Still, Volkov was the more aggressive fighter, landing a series of blows and elbows.
Almeida was content to just ride his opponent, but Goddard once again brought his opponent to his feet. This allowed Almeida to secure the final takedown, much to the live crowd’s chagrin.
As the final seconds passed, Abu Dhabi fans booed both players, most of which appeared to be aimed directly at Almeida.
official results: Alexander Volkov def. Geilton Almeida wins by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).