UFC on FUEL TV 10's Ildemar Alcantara wants KO, then stress-free beach vacation

Fighters drop weight classes all the time in the UFC, so that Ildemar Alcantara is doing it shouldn’t be a big deal.

But he’s dropping from light heavyweight in his UFC debut to welterweight. Thirty-five pounds? That’ll be a big deal just about every time.

Alcantara (18-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC) brings an eight-fight win streak into his Saturday fight against Leandro Silva (11-0-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC on FUEL TV 10, which takes place at Ginasio Paulo Sarasate in Fortaleza, Brazil. Main-card fights air on FUEL TV, while prelims, including Alcantara-Silva, stream on Facebook.

Alcantara said the drop from light heavyweight to welterweight isn’t as bad as it might seem since when he debuted in the UFC at 205 pounds, he essentially didn’t cut any weight for a submission win over Wagner Prado in January.

“Actually before my UFC debut, I fought here in Brazil as a middleweight,” Alcantara told MMAjunkie.com. “When I faced Prado, it was at my walk-around weight. So it makes sense to drop down. I’m losing weight well in advance.

“Thankfully it’s all going well. I’m feeling strong. It’s all going according to plan.”

Alcantara, whose brother Yuri fights in the UFC as a bantamweight and recently was booked to meet Urijah Faber in August, originally was scheduled to fight Jason High. But High was moved up to a fight against Erick Silva.

Instead, Alcantara gets UFC newcomer Leandro Silva, a Chute Boxe fighter and unbeaten former lightweight who recently took a split-decision win against UFC vet Chris Wilson.

“He’s very good at jiu-jitsu,” Alcantara said. “He also has good muay Thai, training at Chute Boxe. I don’t mind taking him down because I have faith in my jiu-jitsu, too. I’m also a black belt. For him, I changed a couple of my sparring partners, and I’ve been sharpening my muay Thai and boxing.”

Alcantara believes his size advantage, coming down from 205 to 170 to fight someone who recently was at 155, might force Silva to try to take the fight to the ground to look for submissions.

On the feet, Alcantara will feel right at home. But if the fight hits the floor, where he believes Silva wants it, he said he feels comfortable there, too.

“I expect he’ll be trying to take me down since that’s his game,” he said. “But I’m confident I can keep him at a distance and either knock him out or submit him.”

Alcantara knows one thing for certain, though. He’s ready for a little break. After fighting six times for Brazil’s Jungle Fight promotion over 14 months, he got the call for his short-notice UFC debut, fighting Prado on less than two weeks’ notice, giving him seven fights in 15 months.

Regardless of what happens on Saturday, Alcantara has a plan in place.

“I think I might go on a nice vacation in Natal or somewhere in Bahia,” he said. “I plan to enjoy the beach. I need to shed all this stress.”

For the latest on UFC on FUEL TV 10, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.