Last week, Francis Ngannou delivered a shockingly spectacular performance against Tyson Fury. After their crossover super-fight in Saudi Arabia, ‘The Predator’ is being hailed as the best striker in all combat sports. The Cameroonian is known for using his vicious striking ability to finish off fights, but there was one bout where even he was uncharacteristically hesitant to engage. This was in his UFC 226 bout against Derrick Lewis.

This 2018 fight was one of the most bizarre fights in UFC history. In their bout, both fighters managed a combined total of 31 significant strikes. The winner, Lewis, delivered 20 of those strikes, while Ngannou could muster only 11. One reason for this hesitation on the Cameroonian’s part was Lewis’ frightening power, which has given him a record-breaking sixteen knockouts in the UFC. And the American will have another chance to display his tremendous power soon. Lewis is scheduled to face #9-ranked heavyweight Jailton Almeida at UFC Fight Night Sao Paulo on November 4. Ahead of their potential clash, let us look at the Brazilian’s key stats.

Jailton Almeida key stats

Jailton Almeida is a Brazilian UFC fighter who competes in the heavyweight division of the UFC. The Salvadoran native has a respectable MMA record of 19 victories and two losses overall. But the 32-year-old is undefeated so far in his five UFC bouts. Given his black belt in BJJ, combined with his strength and size, it is not surprising to see that 63% of his victories have come via submission.

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However, he is not solely reliant on his ground game to defeat opponents. Almeida has also been training in boxing since the age of six along with his BJJ black belt. The 6’3″ Brazilian has a powerful frame, weighing around 230 pounds with a 79″ reach. The Salvador native trains at the Galpão da Luta gym in his native Brazil. Interestingly, his moniker, ‘Malhadinho’, is Portuguese for ‘muscly’ and was given by his coach owing to Almeida’s buff physique.

He got into the UFC following a victory over Nasrudin Nasrudinov in Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021. Almeida is currently on a good roll and has four first-round finishes in his five UFC fights. Three of these came via submission, validating his grappling credentials. And his next fight has all the signs of being a potentially electrifying affair.

Almeida to take on Derrick Lewis at UFC Fight Night Sao Paulo

Lewis is a veritable knockout artist, with 16 knockouts in the UFC. He won his last fight against Marcos Rogerio De Lima with an emphatic flying knee victory in the opening moments of the first round at UFC 291. However, the American went into that fight after three consecutive losses, which led many to say that he was past his prime. But his tremendous power makes him very dangerous under any circumstances.

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Similarly, Almeida is coming off an emphatic win against Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC Fight Night this year. Rozenstruik was his first real elite-level opponent in the UFC. Facing the Surinamese, he was able to finish the fight with a first-round rear naked choke. With such convincing wins, both men have some good momentum behind them. As such, their UFC Fight Night Sao Paulo bout on November 4 promises to be an exciting affair.

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