Prospect of the Week: Thomas Almeida

02/19/2014 5103 Views by

Bantamweight Division

rosholt

Overview

Thomas Almeida is likely on UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby’s shortlist for future UFC Bantamweight signings. Almeida has one of the most impressive records of any prospect, sporting a 15-0 record with all 15 of his wins coming via finish, and 14 coming in the very 1st round.

Despite being just 22 years old, Almeida is one of the most experienced fighters amongst Bantamweight prospects. He has a 29-2 Muay Thai record, and even has highlight videos dating back to 5 years ago. He trains out of Chute Boxe and Jorge Patino’s Macaco Gold Team, which is home to UFC fighters Charles Oliveira and Lucas Martins. Almeida sports a very similar striking style to Charles Oliveira, though Almeida has a much better chin and has significantly more power in his strikes. Though Almeida doesn’t have Oliveira’s ground game, he has proven to be sufficient in getting back to his feet when giving up takedowns.

A few concerns I have about Almeida right now are his lack of wrestling and his striking defense. If you watch the videos below you will quickly see that Almeida is very hittable. He doesn’t show a ton of head movement and has a straight up style, which as mentioned is very similar to Oliveira. Luckily, Almeida has made up for it with one punch knockout power. In his fight with Valdines Silva (3rd video below), Almeida was nearly finished, but he somehow kept his composure and immediately turned the tide with big power strikes. This is a key quality to look for in future top prospects. Some elite level prospects do not react very well to getting hit, but in Almeida’s case, he seems to rise to the occasion.

Almeida differs from some of his fellow Brazilian prospects in that he’s already competed stateside for Legacy Fights. He’s used to the travel, weight cutting overseas, and unfriendly fighting venues. By the time he makes it to the UFC, he should be ready to immediately start making a run towards the Top 15. Almeida’s likely not ready to face elite level competition just yet, but he’s certainly capable of being a future contender in the division.

Videos

Video 1: Almeida vs. Cody Williams (Legacy FC 15, 2012)

Video 2: Almeida vs. George Pacurariu (Legacy FC 26, 2013)

Video 3: Almeida vs. Valdines Silva (MMASH, 2013)

Other Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThomasalmeidaCB
Sherdog Profile: http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Thomas-de-Almeida-87865

The 2013 MMA Prospects Report

My 2013 Prospects Report started on June 1, 2013. All statistics, news, and info are reflected up to that date.
*Introduction/FAQ
Fighters marked with a "+" after their name have since signed with a major promotion.
FlyweightBantamweightFeatherweightLightweight
1. Darrell Montague +
2. Sergio Pettis +
3. Josh Sampo +
4. Sean Santella
5. Danny Martinez +
6. Mamoru Yamaguchi
7. Dileno Lopes
8. Ali Bagautinov +
9. Rafael de Freitas +
10. Jose Maria +


* Honorable Mentions		1. Henry Cejudo
2. Bibiano Fernandes +
3. Aljamain Sterling +
4. Marlon Moraes +
5. Sheymon Moraes
6. Josh Hill +
7. Chris Holdsworth +
8. Brandon Bender +
9. Kyoji Horiguchi +
10. Sirwan Kakai +


* Honorable Mentions
1. Lance Palmer +
2. Doo Ho Choi +
3. Chas Skelly+
4. Rick Glenn +
5. Jim Alers+
6. Ande Fili +
7. Gleristone Santos
8. Tom Niinimaki +
9. Goiti Yamauchi +
10.Chris Gruetzemacher +


* Honorable Mentions
1. Bubba Jenkins +
2. Justin Gaethje +
3. Gilbert Burns
4. Tony Martin +
5. Katsunori Kikuno +
6. Joe Ellenberger +
7. Carlos Ferreira+
8. Ivan Jorge +
9. Yui Chul Nam +
10. Nick Newell +


* Honorable Mentions
WelterweightMiddleweightLight HeavyweightHeavyweight
1. Alex Garcia +
2. Dhiego Lima +
3. Yan Cabral +
4. Cathal Pendred +
5. Rashid Magomedov +
6. Assan Njie
7. Myung Ho Bae
8. Mike Rhodes +
9. Hernani Perpetuo +
10. Chidi Njokuani


* Honorable Mentions		1. Mamed Khalidov
2. Elvis Mutapcic +
3. Michal Materla
4. Ramazan Emeev
5. Joseph Henle
6. Ricardo Abreu+
7. Bubba Bush
8. Jeremy Kimball +
9. Tim Williams +
10. Sean Strickland+


* Honorable Mentions		1. Robert Drysdale +
2. Tyrone Spong +
3. Patrick Cummins+
4. Jan Blachowicz+
5. Steve Bosse+
6. Kyle Cerminara
7. Viktor Nemkov
8. Max Nunes
9. Francimar Barroso +
10. Jake Butler


* Honorable Mentions		1. Steve Mocco +
2. Jared Rosholt +
3. Tony Johnson +
4. Guram Gugenishvili
5. Magomed Malikov
6. Satoshi Ishii
7. Derrick Lewis +
8. Chris Birchler
9. Walt Harris +
10. Ante Delija


* Honorable Mentions

 

 

 

Photo Credit: www.Sherdog.com, Andy Hemingway

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