After a promising start, Jailton Almeida’s run at heavyweight
has fallen flat. | Getty/UFC
Jailton
Almeida is done with the heavyweight experiment.
After consecutive losses against Rizvan
Kuniev and Alexander
Volkov, Almeida is planning to return to the light heavyweight
division. The information was released by manager Leonardo Pateira
during the Brazilian podcast “Connect Cast.” Sherdog subsequently
contacted Pateira, who confirmed the information and added that
UFC has already been informed of Almeida’s decision.
Diminishing Returns
“Maladinho” earned a UFC contract by winning a light heavyweight
fight on
Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2021. He was
successful in his Octagon debut at 205 pounds, finishing Danilo
Marques in the opening stanza at UFC Fight Night 200 in
February 2022. After one 220-pound catchweight victory, the
Brazilian moved to the heavyweight division, where he has compiled
a 5-3 record since 2023.
While Almedia secured noteworthy wins against the likes of Jairzinho
Rozenstruik, Derrick
Lewis and Serghei
Spivac, his last two performances left plenty to be desired —
both in the final result and in the overall performance. In his
most recent loss against Kuniev at
UFC Fight Night 266, Almeida failed on all eight takedown
attempts and appeared reluctant to engage in striking exchanges for
any significant period of time.