Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida’s run in the promotion has come to an end.
Indeed, in a shocking turn of events, the Brazilian has been informed today that he’s being released, according to reporter Laerte Viana.
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This latest release marks the fourth Top 15-ranked UFC Heavyweight that the promotion has gotten rid of in the past year — Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Martin Buday, Alexandr Romanov, and now Almeida.
Almeida (22-5) departs the promotion with an 8-3 UFC record, coming off a lackluster unanimous decision loss to Rizvan Kuniev at UFC Vegas 113 on short notice. That defeat marked his second straight loss and capped an uninspired performance that left fans underwhelmed.
The decision to release Almeida is particularly surprising given his status as a top-10 contender in the Heavyweight division — a weight class often criticized for its lack of depth. With a winning record and a history of strong performances in the Octagon, many expected the UFC to give him another opportunity to rebound.
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Despite scoring seven finishes in his eight UFC victories — six of them coming in the first round — Almeida has recently faced criticism for being “boring” due to his grappling-heavy approach. While he has only gone to the judges’ scorecards three times in his UFC career, all of the bouts were widely panned for their lack of action.
Almeida’s UFC tenure included victories over notable opponents such as Derrick Lewis, Rozenstruik, Romanov, and his most recent win against Serghei Spivac, cementing his reputation as an elite fighter.
At just 32 years old, Almeida remains a talented athlete with plenty of years left to compete. Though the UFC door has closed, other promotions are likely to show interest, and fans can expect him to continue making waves in the global Heavyweight scene.
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