5. Alexandre Almeida
A former World Series of Fighting champion, Almeida enters the featherweight field on a bit of a skid, having lost four of his last six bouts. However, the Brazilian holds a win over Season 1 winner Lance Palmer and reached the semifinals before being disqualified in a match against Steven Siler. He is an aggressive southpaw striker who charges at opponents with combinations and powerful kicks to the body and head. “Capitao” has a questionable chin -- he has been rocked several times in bouts -- and his reckless style has resulted in his running into powerful counters. When he sits back and lets his opponent attack him, the Syndicate MMA rep has good timing on his strikes, especially his right hand. The 30-year-old is a large featherweight with stellar takedown defense. If he is taken down, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt either pops right back to his feet or challenges with fight-ending submissions. He also has a great ability to take his opponent’s back in a scramble. Almeida’s biggest issue over his career has been consistency. When Almeida is at the top of his game, he looks like a world beater, but too often he comes out flat. It will be interesting to see which version of Almeida shows up.
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