Weber Almeida hasn’t entered an MMA cage since August 2023, but he’s confident a knockout streak in the Karate Combat pit will secure him a shot in the UFC or Dana White’s Contender Series.
The 37-year-old Almeida won five of seven under the Bellator banner in a span of four years, including four knockouts, and has since scored back-to-back stoppages at Karate Combat. A Lyoto Machida protégé, Almeida feels “the pit was made for me,” but doesn’t rule out going back to the cage for one final run.
“I love the organization and feel very comfortable fighting in the pit,” Almeida told MMA Fighting. “MMA is excellent, too, but I want to go after the Karate Combat belt and maybe go to MMA down the line. It would be excellent to end my career with some fights in the UFC, but my focus right now is to win the Karate Combat belt.”
Almeida is scheduled to face Jeremy Payet at Friday’s KC 53 in Denver, and doesn’t expect his inactivity under MMA rules to be an issue when it comes to convincing UFC matchmakers to give him a offer.
“I believe Karate Combat has enough power to put me there, going to Contender Series or straight to the UFC,” Almeida said. “Karate Combat has grown a lot in terms of viewership. There’s no striking organization with better numbers right now. And at the end of the day, my performance is what matters. I have to get the job done in there, and I’ll make it happen.”
Almeida is looking for a big win Friday to cement his position as the No. 1 contender in the lightweight division, with Karate Combat champion Luiz Rocha and interim titleholder Shahzaib Rind expected to meet sometime this year to unify the belts.
The Shotokan karate specialist follows the “live by the sword die, by the sword” mantra in his career, going the distance only twice in 11 MMA and Karate Combat bouts combined. Payet is 2-0 with one no-contest under the KC banner, and Almeida wants to hand him his first knockout defeat in the pit.
“I was born to knock people out,” Almeida said with a laugh. “I go for the knockout from start to finish. I’m not the type of fighter that fights to score points. I go for the finish, Shotokan style. This is my essence. Of course, sometimes you can’t get the finish because there’s a great athlete in front of you, but that’s always the goal. If you like that type of adrenaline, watch my fights.”