Upset! Malhadinho rejects the 'tough guy' label and makes an appeal in the UFC: 'Have you already forgotten?'

Malhadinho promotes UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

Jailton Malhadinho He has a clear mission at UFC Vegas 113: to erase the bad impression left in his last fight. This Saturday (7), the Brazilian faces Rizvan Kuniev In a dangerous heavyweight bout (up to 120,2 kg) that is crucial for his career. But, in addition to the Russian fighter, the athlete is also concerned about the recent perception that fans and MMA professionals have of him.

In October, Malhadinho faced Alexander Volkov He managed to execute his well-known takedowns, but even in a position of advantage, he wasn't dominant, much less did he cause damage. Because he attacked little, the Brazilian lost by split decision and was harshly criticized. Even Dana White disapproved of the Bahia native's performance. To make matters worse, Jailton was classified by many as a 'stalling' fighter.

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Aware of the criticism, Malhadinho didn't hide his frustration with how he's been perceived in the octagon and defended himself. The Brazilian rejected the label of being an unexciting athlete and focused on his career statistics. And the Bahia native's intention is valid, considering that of his 22 victories, only one didn't end by submission or knockout. In any case, Jailton guarantees he will be aggressive against Kuniev.

“I think people need to see what I’ve done throughout my entire UFC career. One fight isn’t going to ruin my career, my current moment. I encourage people to watch everything from the beginning of the Contender Series to the fights where I didn’t take a single hit,” the fighter said at the event’s media day.

"People are paying close attention to what's happening now. Why not what I did before? I'm going to try to impose my game, control the fight. If I need to change strategy, I'll change strategy. I'll see how the fight goes," he concluded.

Malhadinho's MMA Fighters

Jailton Malhadinho, 34 years old, is one of Brazil's top MMA fighters today. The athlete is part of the elite heavyweight division and is ranked sixth in the UFC's heavyweight rankings.

The Brazilian began his career in the sport in 2012 and debuted in its largest organization in 2022. In his career, the Bahia native built a record of 22 wins, 21 by stoppage (13 by submission and 8 by knockout), and four losses. His main victories were against Derrick Lewis, Jairzinho Rozenstruik e Serghei Spivac.