Jaílton Malhadinho plays with his reputation as 'untouchable' in the UFC and projects a position in the top 5 heavyweights in 2023

After achieving his third victory without even being touched by his UFC opponents, Jaílton Malhadinho He fell in love with the Brazilian fans. Executioner of Anton Turkalj last weekend, the Bahian spoke exclusively to SUPER FIGHTS about the biggest moment in his career. The athlete has projected a position at the top of the heavyweight division (up to 120,2kg) in 2023.

Featured in UFC 279, Malhadinho had his performance recognized against Turkalj. The Brazilian was one of the lucky ones who won one of the US$50 (around R$257) bonuses.

Fame as untouchable

Absolute since he debuted as an Ultimate professional, Malhadinho has gained a reputation as untouchable, as he has beaten his rivals without even being hit. With a complex fighting style, the Brazilian joked about the fact that he hasn't had any scares in the company so far.

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“We work for this. It's a very demanding workout. The fight seems to be easy, but no one sees how much we suffer in training. I get beaten up a lot in training (laughs). It turns out that in the fight I don’t get a single scratch,” she said.

Change of opponent

Despite his brilliant performance last Saturday (10), Jaílton experienced moments of tension in the days leading up to the show. On the eve of the show, the Bahian had his opponent changed at the last minute. Initially, the fighter would face Shamil Abdurakhimov, who ended up leaving the card due to visa problems. With a new rival, the Tupiniquim declared that he was worried.

“To be honest, I was a little apprehensive in the United States. There are two factors: I'm facing a guy who isn't ranked (Anton Turkalj). It wouldn't add much to this fight for me. The second is that he was a young boy, he had perfect performances. (…) I was a little nervous. He was an athlete who went through the 'Contender Series', just like me. It will arrive full of gas. I thought it would come with a lot of euphoria from showing service,” he admitted.

Next fight

With another victory in the first round, Malhadinho is already thinking about his next challenge. According to the athlete, participation in the UFC 280, in Abu Dhabi, is a wish of his team. Therefore, the idea is to reschedule the clash against Shamil Abdurakhimov.

“That's the plan. As I didn't have any injuries, I can continue. (…) Who knows, maybe they can fit me into the card and I’ll be ready to seek victory for Brazil,” she said.

Light heavyweight or heavyweight?

Since arriving at the UFC, Jaílton guaranteed that he could represent two categories in the company. With a favorable body type to perform in both the light heavyweight division (up to 93kg) and the heavyweight division (up to 120,2kg), the fighter explains in which group he intends to establish himself.

“We are planning to stay in the heavyweight division, because it is a shallow category. He has the chance to reach the belt faster. If you notice, there are few heavyweight athletes who have a game like mine, grappling, but they are not hard-hitting. They don't look for a submission or to end up with ground and pound. (…) I have the structure of a light heavyweight, but I have a lot of agility. It’s very rare to find a heavyweight defending a takedown,” he said.

Projection for 2023

After three brilliant performances in Ultimate, Malhadinho projects an even more successful future in the company. Asked about the planning for the next seasons, the Bahian was optimistic about the climb towards the top of the division led by Francis Ngannou.

“I want to see myself reaching fifth or fourth place, reaching the top. I want to work hard for this, so that I can reach even higher next year”, he concluded.