Jailton Almeida Record: 22-5-0

UFC rise

Almeida announced himself in February 2022 with a first-round TKO of Danilo Marques in his light heavyweight debut, then moved up to heavyweight and kept the finishes coming. He choked out Parker Porter in May 2022, submitted the unbeaten Anton Turkalj at UFC 279 that September, and opened 2023 with a second-round TKO of Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC 283. He kept climbing with a first-round rear-naked choke of Jairzinho Rozenstruik in May 2023, then went the full five rounds to win a unanimous decision over former title challenger Derrick Lewis in November 2023, a result that pushed him into the divisional top ten.

Setbacks and resilience

His ascent hit its first real wall in March 2024, when Curtis Blaydes handed him a second-round knockout loss at UFC 299 – a reminder of the risks of the heavyweight division. Almeida responded in trademark fashion, submitting Alexandr Romanov by first-round rear-naked choke at UFC 302 in June 2024, then scoring a first-round TKO of Serghei Spivac at UFC 311 in January 2025. A pair of decision losses followed – a split-decision defeat to Alexander Volkov at UFC 321 in October 2025 and a unanimous decision against Rizvan Kuniev in February 2026 – that tested his standing in a deep heavyweight field.

Fighting style

Almeida is one of the most efficient finishers in the heavyweight division, with a finish rate of roughly 95 percent and 21 of his 22 wins coming inside the distance – 13 by submission and eight by knockout or TKO. His game is built on explosive takedown entries, immediate positional advancement and a relentless rear-naked choke hunt that gives opponents little room to breathe. The heavy hands he flashes on the feet and in ground-and-pound make him a threat even when the fight stays standing. His vulnerabilities have come against heavy-hitting strikers and rangy heavyweights who can keep the fight upright, but few in the weight class are as dangerous once Almeida gets to grappling range.

Career highlights

• Contender Series finish — submitted undefeated prospect Nasrudin Nasrudinov to earn his UFC contract and launch his promotional run.
• Top-10 heavyweight wins — finished Jairzinho Rozenstruik and outpointed former title challenger Derrick Lewis over five rounds to crack the divisional rankings.
• Elite finishing rate — closed out 21 of his 22 career wins inside the distance, a finishing efficiency rarely seen among heavyweights.