To track Ricardo Almeida is to play a game of hide-and-seek. One year he was fighting in the UFC, the next he was quietly doing his thing as a champion in Japan’s Pancrase. Following that, there was a second appearance in PRIDE, and then suddenly – at the top of his game – he dropped out of the scene entirely.
Fast-forward to 2008. Fight fans let out a collective sigh of relief when Almeida returned to the UFC, breathing new life into its middleweight division. But now, two fights into his highly touted comeback, he’s been on a nine-month absence. What gives?
For once we can blame forces beyond his control. While Almeida’s previous career moves were conscious decisions related to his personal life, his recent disappearance was the result of a sports hernia.
According to the fighter, an injury never felt so good.
“Physically, it was pretty painful and debilitating,” says Almeida. “At one point, I could barely do sprints. But in many other ways – specifically, mentally – it came as a blessing. It gave me a chance to approach my training in a better way and make some small adjustments. I also had some time to cope with some personal challenges. So as much as it hurt, it has definitely given me time to regroup and I’m in a really good place now.”
After a couple of months off, his ailments cleared up just around the New Year – auspicious timing for the 32-year-old submission specialist. Rehabbed and rejuvenated, the Big Dog is hopeful that his first fight of 2009 will bring a superlative performance.
It’s not as if ring rust will be a factor. Even after four years away from the sport – six from the Octagon in particular – Almeida breezed through his fight against Rob Yundt at last year’s UFC 81, taking the win via guillotine choke at 1:08 in the first round.
His follow-up against knockout artist Patrick Cote at UFC 86 ended in a split decision loss, but it was a commendable showing nonetheless – even if a self-critical Almeida begs to differ.
Months after the fight, he admitted that he still hadn’t watched the footage. “Losses come naturally in the sport, so it wasn’t losing that was disappointing to me,” he says. “It was the way I performed. Patrick came out strong, fighting for the title, and I wish nothing but the best for him, but I know I fight a lot better than that. But it’s not worth it to complain about the results. I can’t change the past, I can only focus on what’s coming forward.”
Next on the agenda is former IFL middleweight champion Matt “Suave” Horwich, who Almeida was originally slated to face last fall. The rescheduled bout will finally go down on April 1 at UFC Fight Night in Nashville, Tennessee.
If his last fight was one of opposing styles, the next one promises to be a chess match between like minds. Prior to his loss to Cote, Almeida (9-3) brought a seven-fight winning streak – three by first-round submission – to the table. Meanwhile, Team Quest’s Horwich (24-10-1) holds his own with 18 submission victories.
“Horwich is the best ground fighter I’ll face so far in my career, so I’m really looking forward to it,” says Almeida. “I’ve watched him fight live and I’m familiar with what he likes to do. Cote was someone who wanted to stay on his feet, but this time things are going to go to the ground whether it’s him on top or me on top. So many jiu-jitsu guys want to throw punches but they forget that when the fight goes to your strength, you have to be able to finish it. I’m counting on this to be a high-paced, technical ground battle, and if I lose, I want to lose doing what I do best.”
For a Renzo Gracie disciple and third-degree jiu-jitsu black belt, it sounds like a sensible game plan. But then again, could he be bluffing?
“Of course, when I step into the Octagon, I feel that I represent jiu-jitsu more than anything else, because that’s what I started with,” says Almeida. “But the landscape of the game has changed. I’ve also been working on my stand-up and takedowns. I’m always trying to add something to keep my opponent guessing. Otherwise you won’t survive.”
How it will play out remains to be seen, but Almeida will have a strong advantage courtesy of Dan Miller, fellow Jerseyite and Renzo Gracie student. Miller, who stepped in for Almeida when the first scheduled match fell through, not only took home a unanimous decision over Horwich, but a few helpful hints for his teammate.
“Seeing Horwich fight a guy whose style is perhaps similar to mine definitely helps,” Almeida explains. “And Dan has given me some breadcrumbs for me to pick on.”
Training out of his Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy in Hamilton, New Jersey, Almeida is also working with a team that includes Frankie Edgar, Andre Gusmao, and – of course – longtime mentor Renzo Gracie in preparation for the fight.
“They come down and beat me up and give me a terrible time,” he says with a laugh. “But I would never trade them for anyone else. And with a team like this, I’m never really away from the mats. I’m not the guy who does eight weeks of training and then takes time off after the fight. As soon as I’m done in the cage, there’s someone else on my team that’s ready to go, and I had better be in the gym helping them just as they helped me.”
It’s that sort of humility and work ethic that keeps Almeida grounded as MMA blows up in the mainstream. Ironically, if there’s one thing he’s vocal about, it’s his preference to keep a low profile. There’s no trace of rock star ambition, just a pure love for what he does.
“I’m not here to be a loudmouth,” he says. “I’m here because I got to a point where I asked myself, ‘Where do I ultimately want to be?’ And for any serious fighter, it’s the UFC. But I don’t predict outcomes or think about things like where I’m at in the division or how long it will be before I get a title shot. For me, it’s all about living in the moment and enjoying the whole process. Training, teaching, competing against the best… they’re what I love.”
With such rare earnestness, let’s hope Almeida doesn’t disappear again anytime soon.
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