WSOF champ Lance Palmer: I’m ready for UFC's Conor McGregor, Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar

Lance Palmer

The closest WSOF featherweight champ Lance Palmer has gotten to the UFC over the past few years is as a cornerman for his teammates at events.

When wives, friends or other family members didn’t have the time to grab supplies for someone who was cutting weight, he would do the job. As a protege of UFC bantamweight Urijah Faber’s Team Alpha Male, he could always stay busy.

But lately, Palmer (10-1) has been thinking about his future in the sport, and feeling more confident than ever about his path. So when he faces his next opponent, Alexandre Almeida (17-5), at Friday’s WSOF 26, he doesn’t expect to struggle.

“I’m confident in my ability no matter who I fight, whether it’s Jose Aldo, Conor McGregor or Frankie Edgar,” Palmer told MMAjunkie Radio. “I feel like I’m at that level where I could fight any of those guys.

“Going against (Almeida), I know he’s legit and I know he’s tough. I don’t take anybody lightly. But I know I’m going to go in there and be better than this guy.”

WSOF 26 takes place at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas with a main card on NBCSN following prelims on MMAjunkie.

Palmer attempts the second defense of his WSOF title amid a three-fight winning streak. So far, his lone setback is a submission loss to Georgi Karakhanyan in 2013 at WSOF 7. Almeida, meanwhile, makes his second promotional appearance after a submission win over Saul Almeida two months ago at WSOF 24.

Almeida turned to WSOF after an attempt to earn a UFC contract was sidetracked by a serious medical issue. Cast on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4,” he was scratched from the show when a pre-fight medical exam revealed the presence of a brain aneurysm.

Now the Brazilian, who often trains in Las Vegas with the Syndicate Fight Team, looks to rebuild his career with an upset win over Palmer. He boasts 13 submission wins on his resume, which adds a bit of intrigue to the matchup’s breakdown.

But for Palmer, a collegiate wrestling standout, the notion that he will be threatened by an armbar or guillotine is ignoring the work he’s done since his loss to Karakhanyan.

“In this situation, I feel like my wrestling and scrambling and grappling ability is going to be able to overpower and overtake his ability to get it where he wants to fight,” he said.

While Palmer said he’s happy with WSOF, he thinks about fighting the best in the sport.

And for those who think his wrestling is a hindrance to his career, he asks them to stop his takedown. Right now, he doesn’t see anyone who can.

“When you can’t stop the wrestling, it’s still going to beat you,” he said.

For more on WSOF 26, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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