Jailton Almeida is gearing up to take on Alexandr Romanov at UFC 302 in a clash of heavyweight titans! The 7th-ranked Brazilian star recently lost his undefeated streak in the UFC after losing to Curtis Blaydes at UFC 299. And while he managed to secure a decision win against Derrick Lewis in 2023, he has finished all his UFC opponents before that, highlighting his dangerous skill set inside the Octagon.
The Brazilian is known for his grappling skills as 3 of his 6 wins inside the UFC have come via submission. As such, let’s look at his BJJ credentials and explore his fighting style ahead of his preparation for the Alexandr Romanov fight on June 1.
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Jailton Almeida became a BJJ black belt in 2018
Jailton Almeida was born in Brazil and made his way to the UFC after securing an impressive 13-2 record in Brazil’s regional MMA scene. He was then offered a chance to compete in Dana White’s Contender Series 39, where he received a UFC contract with an impressive second-round finish against his opponent.
‘Malhadinho’, as he’s also known, started boxing at 6, as he drew inspiration from his father, a professional boxer.
Almeida holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu which he secured in 2018 after having trained in the discipline since the age of 11. It’s interesting to note that he began his training as a boxer before rounding out his game later on.
His grappling skills are highlighted by the stats from his clash against Derrick Lewis, where he neutralized the dangerous ‘Black Beast’ on the mat. According to the UFC’s stats, Almeida secured the record for the most ground control time in a UFC heavyweight bout in his fight against Lewis.
He controlled the action on the ground for a whopping 21 minutes and 10 seconds throughout the 5-round affair, underscoring his skills as an elite grappler in the UFC’s heavyweight division.
And while he is ready for Alexandr Romanov, he once mentioned wanting to fight at UFC 301, which took place in his home country of Brazil.
Almeida wanted a “dance partner” for UFC 301
Brazilian heavyweight Jailton Almeida wanted the opportunity to fight in front of his nation’s people. During the UFC 299 media day, Almeida hinted at the possibility of fighting at UFC 301 in Brazil if he emerges from his current bout uninjured and victorious.
He stated, “If I’m uninjured and everything is in order, it’s going to be about eight weeks, maybe a little bit less than that, but it’s more than enough time for me to get ready.”
However, the PPV that took place in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil did not feature ‘Malhadinho’ but he had a few names of the fighters that he could “dance” with inside the Octagon! He stated, “You need a dancing partner for that, so you need to see if any of the people that could be a proper opponent for me like Pavlovich or Gane, heck even Tom Aspinall…”
Even though Almeida’s ambitious plans for UFC 301 did not come to fruition, he demonstrated his confidence and eagerness to climb the ranks in the heavyweight division, but first, he must overcome Alexandr Romanov at UFC 302.
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Edited by
Yeswanth Praveen