It’s Nothing Personal, But Almeida Will Be Going For the Finish Against Hughes on August 7

Despite reeling off back-to-back wins at 185lbs in 2009, Jiu-Jitsu ace Ricardo “Big Dog” Almeida made the move to 170lbs for his last fight, notching his first submission win in over two years when he caught Matt Brown with a Rear Naked Choke. With his first welterweight win under his belt, Almeida was ready to continue on a slow and steady rise toward the top of the division. But after witnessing his longtime trainer Renzo Gracie succumb to a third-round TKO courtesy of former champ Matt Hughes in April, the emotional Almeida asked UFC matchmaker Joe Silva for a fight with the Hall of Famer.

On Saturday, August 7, Almeida will get his wish, and while he will be going for the finish in the biggest fight of his career, he maintains his stance that UFC 117 is all business.

In his exclusive interview with Tapology’s Steven Kelliher, Almeida also discussed his training for Hughes, the debate over declining submission rates at the upper echelon of the sport, and why he would be uncomfortable with the thought of facing Georges St-Pierre for the Welterweight Championship.

Tapology: You made a successful drop to 170lbs by defeating Matt Brown. How did you feel at the new weight?

Almeida: The weight was not really a problem. I brought in a nutritionist to help me with the diet and rehydrating. I felt great the morning of the fight, I felt great in the fight, I wasn’t really tired at all, and I felt like I was the bigger guy in there. Matt Brown is known for having a relentless attack and great conditioning, but I felt him gasping for air in the second round so I knew that when we hit the ground I could keep him there.

Tapology: That was your first submission victory in about two years. How did it feel to get the tap after such a long time?

Almeida: Yeah there were three fights in a row that I couldn’t get the submission, but it’s such a competitive sport that ultimately I just want to win. Some guys fight recklessly and they get the knockouts and the submissions, but they get a lot of losses too. I don’t really remember most of my wins but I remember every single one of my losses and I don’t want it to happen again, ever.

Tapology: Do you think that the level of athletes has just increased to the point where it is more difficult for submission fighters like yourself to get quick tap-outs?

Almeida: Yeah when you get to the top tier in any division the guys are going to be very good in everything. The bottom line is that guys are coming in prepared. They get coaches to look at tape and they are ready for their opponent’s strengths. It’s going to be a little harder to submit people when they aren’t making as many mistakes.

Submissions are still happening in big fights though. Brock Lesnar submitted Shane Carwin and Fabricio Werdum submitted Fedor, so Jiu-Jitsu comes and goes, but it’s always there.

Tapology: I know you train with some of the best lightweights in the world in Frankie Edgar and Eddie Alvarez, as well as the welterweight champ, Georges St-Pierre, on occasion. How do those training relationships improve your game?

Almeida: I train with Frankie at least three times a week and Eddie comes down at least once or twice a week to do some sparring; we actually got a chance to spar the other day. Georges is a little more sporadic because he’s up in Canada, but any time we can make that happen we do. Sparring with Frankie and Eddie on a weekly basis definitely brings your overall game up.

It is inspiring for me to have those guys that are younger than me doing so well, training hard every day, so that pushes me to hold myself to a higher standard. I’ve never seen anyone take training as seriously as Frankie does. He is so competitive. It doesn’t matter what it is, that kid is trying to beat you at it, and when you spar, grapple, and wrestle at that intensity, it’s going to make everyone better.

Tapology: The biggest fight of your career kicks off next week against Matt Hughes. Do consider him to be the toughest opponent of your career or do you think his best days might be behind him?

Almeida: No doubt about it. People say that he’s slowed down—and he’s had some hiccups here and there—but at welterweight he’s really only lost to Georges St-Pierre. His fight with Thiago Alves wasn’t really at welterweight. I’m watching video on this guy and watching his fights and I’m thinking like, what are all of these people watching.

It’s MMA; when you win, you’re the greatest and when you lose, you’re done. I’m getting ready to fight the guy who was the most dominant welterweight ever.

Tapology: This fight has been suggested as a grudge match by some media outlets since you asked for the fight after Hughes defeated your trainer, Renzo Gracie. To clear it up, is there any ill will between the two of you?

Almeida: Not at all. I wouldn’t expect anything from him than to try to knock his opponent out [in the Gracie fight]. It just so happens that he has beaten a couple of guys from my team—actually, I felt that Matt Serra won his fight, but hey, I’m biased. I was in the corner with Renzo and it was very emotional to see the way that it ended, so I asked Joe Silva for that fight right away and they gave me my wish.

It’s just extra motivation, but whether I like or dislike Matt Hughes doesn’t really make a difference. If it was my mother in there, I’d be trying to choke her out and I expect nothing less from my opponent.

Tapology: Have you been doing anything specific in training to get ready for Hughes’s takedown attempts or are you confident that you will be the stronger fighter when you clinch up with him?

Almeida: A unique thing about this fight is I found out very early that I was going to get the match-up, so I’ve had plenty of time to prepare. I’ve been training a lot with the Rutgers Wrestling Team, since Frankie is an assistant coach over there, so I’m interested to see who’s going to end up on top. I feel that I can be just as dangerous from bottom or top, but we’ll see what happens. If he is on top, he is very good at stifling Jiu-Jitsu guys, but I’m working on some surprises for him.

Tapology: Should you defeat Hughes, do you think you’ll be on the short list of contenders for the title?

Almeida: It’s a little bittersweet, because I do think that if I finish Hughes it will put me up there, but I train with Georges and he is a good friend. It’s not like I’m rushing in to try to fight that guy. I hope I don’t ever have to cross that bridge.

Tapology: But you said you’d choke your mom out if she were in there.

Almeida: I’m just hoping to never cross that bridge—let’s just put it that way.

Tapology: Well maybe we’ll finally get to see that Jon Fitch fight that was supposed to happen last November.

Almeida: Yeah so much could happen that day. There is me and Hughes and then there is Fitch and Thiago Alves, so that card will tell a lot about the future of the welterweight division.