In any discipline, the power of a good teacher can never be overstated. When you look at a coach who's helped build athletes such as Tom DeBlass and Frankie Edgar and now owns an association that boasts hundreds of students, there's no question -- Ricardo Almeida has a lot of power. 


The Renzo Gracie black belt certainly has a lot of impressive knowledge to pass on to his students. His self-proclaimed "obsession with well-roundedness" has led him to compete under various rule sets across both MMA and jiu-jitsu. 

"I competed at everything, IBJJF, ADCC, Pride FC, and UFC," Almeida says.

In fact, one of the only rule sets Almeida hasn't competed under is sub-only, and on Friday, Oct. 27, he'll finally get that chance when he headlines Fight to Win Pro 52 against Team Lutter's Michael Alexander in Philadelphia.

Almeida's debut on the big stage has been long-awaited by fans, F2W owner Seth Daniels, and Almeida himself. The 1998 ADCC silver medalist has had to turn down multiple requests to appear on Fight to Win cards in the past due to coaching or seminar commitments, but now that it's finally working out, he's ready to give it everything he has for both himself and his students.


Photo: ​facebook.com/RicardoAlmeidaBJJ1

In fact, although Almeida could easily boast about his numerous accomplishments in both BJJ and MMA (which include a Pan American gold medal as a brown belt and various victories in the UFC), he seems to be most proud about how he's giving back to the next generation of jiu-jitsu athletes.

In my schools, it is all about the student; if you visit… there are very little pictures of me and a lot of the awesome group of people we are able to serve.

Over his two decades' worth of experience, Almeida has built one of the most well-known teams on the East Coast not only due to his expertise but also thanks to the meticulousness with which he approaches the finer details of grappling and fighting. 

"I think our guys and gals always do well because I try to leave no stone unturned,"  he says. "If I am working with guys competing at IBJJF, I want them to be well-rounded -- have solid takedowns, top game, and guard. The same with our MMA guys -- remove their weaknesses and worth with their strengths without ever trying to impose my own style. I want to give my fighters enough knowledge so they can attack freely with their own style and creativity."


Almeida's own thorough competition style will be coming into play on Friday night, and he knows he'll need to utilize all that he's learned and practiced over the years to pull out the win.

"I know my opponent is very strong and has competed a bunch under these rules," Almeida says. "I want to make sure I make no mistakes early, 'cause if he latches onto something, he may rip it off my body!

As always, I'll probably start slow and build as the match goes on. Really want to look for a finish, but sometimes you have to be patient and accept guys are really good and the finish may not come. We will see.

A victory at F2W 52 would no doubt be an exciting addition to Almeida's highlight reel (which includes defeating UFC fighter Matt Brown in New Jersey and representing the Gracie family at Pride Bushido after Renzo was injured), but through all the victories that have established him as one of the toughest fighters out there, he displays just as much pride when discussing his students' accomplishments. 


Edgar's win against BJ Penn stands out as one of Almeida's favorite memories as an MMA coach, but he demonstrates a much softer side when recounting another special coaching moment.

"Believe it or not, [my proudest moment] was coaching my daughter in her first tournament 'cause it was something I always wanted for her," Almeida says. "She lost both her matches but fought with so much heart and skill against much more experienced kids. It is something I enjoyed a lot."

Almeida is set to walk off the stage and hit the ground running after Friday's event concludes. In addition to six UFC fights he has to prepare his fighters for before 2017 ends, he also plans on releasing an online video series that "addresses more than students' technical needs" and focuses on recreational jiu-jitsu practitioners. The videos should be ready by the time the holidays roll around, but if Almeida can pull off a win at F2W 52, his students and fans might see Christmas come in October this year.

---

How to Watch Fight To Win Pro 52

On TV: Now available on Roku and Apple TV 4 -- download the FloSports app today.
STREAMING: Available only on FloGrappling via monthly or yearly memberships. A yearly FloPRO subscription provides access to ALL FloSports sites. SIGN UP HERE

Join The Conversation On Social

• Follow us on Twitter @FloGrappling
• Follow us on Instagram @FloGrappling
• Follow us on Facebook

FloGrappling's hottest content, delivered to your inbox

Don't miss breaking news, feature stories, event updates, and more. Sign up for the FloGrappling mailing list today.