Competing under the bright lights of the UFC after a relatively short professional career, Brazilian fighter Eduarda Moura is currently navigating her path in the women`s flyweight division. While not focused on immediate title aspirations for herself in her new weight class, Moura has strong convictions regarding the heavyweight landscape, specifically the title prospects of her teammate, Jailton Almeida. According to Moura, Almeida`s ascent to the top of the heavyweight division is not just likely, but an inevitability, especially when considering a potential clash with current champion Tom Aspinall.
Moura views Almeida`s situation as clear-cut. Having dominated much of his UFC tenure since 2022 with a string of finishes, she believes he has little left to prove before a title shot becomes undeniable. Whether his next opponent is Alexander Volkov or another top contender, Moura feels the subsequent fight *must* be for the belt. “There`s nowhere else for `Malhadinho` to go,” she stated, emphasizing that Almeida rightfully belongs at the pinnacle of the division and has the patience to wait for the opportunity he deserves.
Discussing the potential championship bout against Tom Aspinall, Moura anticipates it being the most challenging fight of Almeida`s career. However, she sees this as a positive, allowing Almeida the necessary time to refine his skills and enter the fight operating at peak performance. She dismisses the idea of other contenders, such as Ciryl Gane, getting a shot ahead of Almeida, citing Gane`s previous unsuccessful attempts at UFC gold as evidence against his immediate candidacy.
When pressed for a prediction on how a fight between Almeida and Aspinall would unfold inside the octagon, Moura offered a confident forecast rooted in her teammate`s grappling prowess. While acknowledging Aspinall`s well-known speed and striking power, Moura believes Almeida`s strategy will be straightforward and effective: secure the takedown. She is confident that once the fight hits the mat, Almeida`s jiu-jitsu will prove superior, making him the first fighter in roughly a decade to submit Aspinall. Her hope, perhaps tinged with a touch of fight fan anxiety, is that the submission comes swiftly to spare their collective nerves.
On the personal front, Moura`s move to flyweight follows a challenging experience with a difficult weight cut at strawweight, which she feels significantly impacted her performance in her sole professional loss. Describing that cut as “brutal,” she views the experience as a crucial lesson that validated the need for a divisional change. Now competing at 125 pounds, Moura feels strong and at home, considering flyweight her true division, though she believes she could potentially compete even heavier if needed.
Looking ahead to her own upcoming bout against the experienced Lauren Murphy, Moura expects a composed opponent but foresees her grappling being the decisive factor. As she builds her record in the flyweight division, the prospect of a title fight in this weight class seems less daunting to Moura than it might have been at strawweight. This perspective is heavily influenced by her profound respect for strawweight champion Weili Zhang, whom she regards as a uniquely challenging fighter – perhaps even more so than the accomplished flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko. Zhang, in Moura`s estimation, is simply a “badass” and a more intimidating technical puzzle. While acknowledging the possibility of Zhang moving up, Moura humorously hopes she stays put, though she remains prepared for any challenge the future might hold.
