Jailton Almeida’s tenure with the UFC has come to an unexpected end. Following consecutive losses and a decision defeat to Rizvan Kuniev at UFC Vegas 113, the promotion has opted to release the former heavyweight contender, closing the chapter on a run that once saw him surge toward title contention.
Laerte Vianna was the first to report the news.
Almeida (22-5) suffered his second consecutive defeat Saturday night, dropping a decision to Rizvan Kuniev. The setback followed a split-decision loss to Alexander Volkov last October.
The former ranked heavyweight had announced plans to return to the light heavyweight division, but the promotion appears to have taken the decision out of his hands.
Almeida entered the UFC in 2021 following a submission victory over Nasrudin Nasrudinov and quickly made an impact. He rattled off five consecutive wins, all by finish, emerging as a breakout force across both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions.
A loss to Curtis Blaydes at UFC 299 halted that surge, though Almeida rebounded with two more finishes before his recent skid. While dominant during his early run, a string of underwhelming performances appeared to cool fan enthusiasm, and the defeat to Kuniev ultimately proved to be the tipping point for the promotion.