Valter Walker says Jailton Almeida was ‘set a trap’ in Russia

Valter Walker has raised serious doubts about Jailton Almeida's prospects ahead of his heavyweight bout against former ACA champion Evgeniy Goncharov on September 12 in Krasnodar, Russia. Walker, who trains alongside Goncharov, believes the matchup is designed to exploit Almeida's weaknesses rather than provide a fair competition.

Speaking to Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana, Walker highlighted Goncharov's massive size and elite wrestling as nearly insurmountable obstacles. The 40-year-old Goncharov, listed at 130 kilograms (286 pounds) of lean muscle, successfully defended takedowns against Walker during sparring despite Walker having what he described as perfect entry position. This concerns Walker greatly, since Almeida's primary path to victory typically relies on takedowns—the Brazilian's calling card in the UFC before consecutive losses forced his exit from the organization.

"I think they set a trap for Malhadinho, so he leaves here traumatized and never wants to fight in Russia again," Walker said of the matchup. Almeida now competes outside the UFC in an attempt to rebuild, while Walker has thrived on the elite level, submitting his last five UFC opponents to become the promotion's top Brazilian heavyweight.