Hometown Hero: An MMAmania.com UFC 101 interview exclusive with Ricardo Almeida

Had his split decision loss to Patrick Cote at UFC 86: "Jackson vs. Griffin" gone the other way, Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Ricardo Almeida might be looking at an entirely different scenario.

He likely would have been granted a title shot against middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva -- a shot that instead went to Cote. And from there, who knows?

When a sports hernia in his abdomen postponed Almeida's return following the loss to Cote, the former middleweight King of Pancrase opted out of surgery but was forced to change up his training routine during rehabilitation, which in turn got the attention of several members in his camp.

They started noticing a difference in Almeida's weight, and even suggested he consider a drop to welterweight.

However, Almeida focused on the present. He returned to face middleweight Matt Horwich at UFC Fight Night 18: "Condit vs. Kampmann" last April and earned the unanimous decision nod (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

The victory was supposed to be his last at 185 pounds.

When Almeida heard that UFC 101 was to take place in Philadelphia, PA, the Bordentown, New Jersey resident quickly let it be known that he wanted on that card.

Unfortunately the UFC did not have a welterweight opponent lined up for Almeida. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva made it known: Almeida can fight Kendall Grove in front of his hometown crowd at middleweight and or wait to fight at welterweight another day.

"Big Dog" chose the hometown crowd and hasn't looked back since.

We caught up with Almeida to ask him about the decision to stay at middleweight for one more fight, see how his progression is coming since his injury, and get his thoughts on what is becoming something of a "fourth element" of mixed martial arts (behind striking, wrestling and jiu-jitsu): Weight-cutting.

Let's get to it.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You're a long-term veteran who has witnessed the UFC in its early days, since before the Zuffa purchase. You've fought in PRIDE and Pancrase, and during that time have seen the rise and fall of various promotions - most recently Affliction.

What's your opinion on how the sport - as well as these promotions - has evolved over time? Do you think this is a natural way the sport progresses, sort of like how smaller basketball or American football promotions eventually gave rise to the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL)?

Ricardo Almeida: Some could argue that multiple promotions would benefit the fighters by having the promotions compete for fighter services.

My opinion is that the UFC has already taken our sport where it would never be if we had something like three or four mid-level promotions around. I believe to take the sport to the fan-base level of football or baseball, we need the strength and cohesion of an organization such as the UFC.

I personally am stoked and grateful to be a part of the UFC, especially during such a key moment of global expansion. I share Dana and Lorenzo's vision of making the UFC a worldwide sport with not only a large fan-base, but a great number of practitioners.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you look forward to the day when all of the greatest stars in MMA can compete against one another under one organization, or do you think we are already there? Are there benefits that come with competition among promotions, like when the UFC and PRIDE used to compete?

Ricardo Almeida: I think we are already there. Aside from Fedor, Nick Diaz, Jake Shields and a handful of others, the best fighters are either already in the UFC or on their way.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You last fought Matt Horwich in April to a unanimous decision. Can you talk about your performance in the fight? What aspects of the fight were you pleased about, whether inside the cage or outside of it?

Ricardo Almeida: I was pretty pleased with my performance as I had a chance to showcase some of my standup and wrestling. I knew Horwich had a solid defense on the ground so I wanted to beat him on the feet and with takedowns. The game plan flowed well but like every fight I am still looking to improve many areas of my game.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): What did you learn from your performance against Horwich that you hope to improve upon?

Ricardo Almeida: I feel I might have played a little too conservative. He didn't leave many openings on the ground but I feel I could have pushed a little harder on the feet.

I think every time you step out there you get a little more comfortable and I am looking forward to the fight with Kendall so I can show some of these things I have been working on.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Kendall Grove is a well-rounded fighter who is dangerous both on the feet and on the ground. What difficulties do you think he brings to the table? What are things you'll need to overcome?

Ricardo Almeida: The main thing with Kendall is how tall he is and how well he uses his reach. He is also a quick starter, he tends to do most of his damage in the first round of his fights.

If I can manage his reach and find my range I will be able to get my game going. I am expecting an explosive first round, but I love when fighters come after me. It fires me up.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Grove clearly has a size advantage over most middleweights. Most people recognize the benefits of a reach advantage; but when facing an opponent with such lanky arms and legs, are there also some areas you can exploit, especially from a jiu-jitsu perspective?

Ricardo Almeida: I have been working with a lot of sparring partners who are around Kendall's height. One of them is 6'7", and I can tell you that, in theory, lanky guys sound (like they'd be) easier to attack leg locks and armlocks, but in practice it is a lot different.

Tall guys have great balance and can generate a lot of leverage. A guy like Kendall can create problems for anyone, on the feet and on the floor.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You've mentioned dropping to welterweight after this fight, which made me think back to your fight with Patrick Cote. In that fight, you seemed to look exhausted in the second round (although you seemed to recover in the third). Was that because of the weight cut, and if so, how will you make sure you are not drained when cutting to 170 in the future?

Ricardo Almeida: I only cut around 8 lbs. when I fought Cote, so it wasn't the weight cutting that made me tired.

I have been walking around at 190 lbs. without any dieting. I feel with some caloric restriction I can bring my weight closer to 170 lbs. and make the final cut from there. But I will only know how I feel the first time I do it. I am planning on doing a few trial cuts before the real one.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): As a follow-up to the Cote question: The last time we spoke, you said that the second round vs. Cote was the "most physically challenging thing" you've had to do in terms of overcoming exhaustion (to the point that you were on the verge of getting sick). You've also said that the loss tested your commitment to the sport.

Since then, you've overcome an injury and earned another victory over another tough opponent. Looking back, how have these fights made you a better fighter today? Are you more determined to make a run at a title now more than ever?

Ricardo Almeida: After the Cote fight I had to make adjustments in my training. Teach fewer classes at the academy and go that extra mile to make sure I am prepared to fight.

I don't like coming up short, so it has fired me up. I am training at a different level now. More intensity, more focused, more committed. I am not really thinking about a title shot right now. My thoughts are on UFC101 and we'll see what happens after that.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): With fighters who are as gifted as you are on the ground, some fans might think that you focus only on improving your standup. About how much percentage-wise do you train standup vs. jiu-jitsu? Is it 50% / 50%?

Ricardo Almeida: I would say that right now probably 40% boxing, 30% wrestling and 30% Jiu Jitsu.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): The last we talked, you had been working on your striking with Mark Henry and Bo Lattimere. Do you continue to work with these guys, or are you working with others as well?

Ricardo Almeida: Since before the Horwich fight I have been working with Mark Henry only. He is the guy behind Frankie (Edgar's) performance against Sean Sherk.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You have stated that the decision to cut to welterweight came after you were forced to change your training regiment following last year's injury. My understanding was that you had to switch more to a cardio workout.

Can you explain a little bit about the changes you had to make in your training to overcome the injury? Do you feel equally as strong as you did when you were heavier?

Ricardo Almeida: Following the sports hernia diagnosis I had to choose between surgery or a rehabilitation route. I chose the rehab route and did a lot of stretching and some strengthening of the lower abdominal area.

A few months ago I tried some dead lifting and was pretty sore for the following days. So I have been focusing more on my MMA training (wrestling, boxing and Jiu Jitsu) and some supplementary conditioning workouts.

I am not as strong as before but my movement, conditioning and flexibility have never been better.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Weight-cutting in mixed martial arts has sort of become the 4^th element in the sport - equally as important as the three basic fundamentals of striking, wrestling and jiu-jitsu. Will you be incorporating any specific weight-cutting formula for your eventual move to 170? Will you be working with a specific nutritionist, for example, or following a basic format?

Ricardo Almeida: Martin Rooney has been my trainer since 2001, and since my injury I have not been able to train with him. But following this fight with Kendall we plan on getting together to draw a plan for my cut to 170 lbs.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You'll be fighting in Philadelphia at UFC 101 - which you requested specifically since it's so close to where you live and train. In fact, it's my understanding that it was your choice to either fight in Philly at 185 or wait until later in the fall and make your 170 debut.

Clearly you favored fighting in front of the hometown crowd. But why did the UFC make such an offer? Why could they not find an appropriate welterweight opponent for you at 170? Was it simply because Kendall Grove needed an opponent?

Ricardo Almeida: The UFC is putting their cards many months in advance. I don't know the specifics. I asked if I could fight at 170 lbs. Next thing I know I took a fight with the tallest middleweight in the UFC when I wanted to fight the smaller guys instead.

Joe (Silva) can be a very persuasive man, but the more I look at this fight, the more I like the match up and the more I think it has the potential to be one of the great fights that night. I'm glad Joe talked me into staying at 185 lbs for one more fight.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): As always, thanks, Ricardo, for taking the time to talk with us at MMAmania.com. Would you like to thank any sponsors or do you have any parting words for your hometown fans on what we can expect to see at UFC 101 in Philadelphia?

Ricardo Almeida: I'd like to thank my sponsors Sprawl, Tokyo Five, Swain Mats, Muscle Pharm, Alstarz, Wilner & O'Reilly and MMA Clothing. I would like to thank everyone who has helped me prepare for this fight, especially my wife and family for the patience and love.

To my fans, let's have a great time on August 8.