Jailton Almeida is headed back down.
It took less than two days after his most recent loss for Almeida (22-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) to inform the UFC he’s moving to light heavyweight for his next bout.
His manager, Tiago Okamura of On The Road Management, confirmed the move to MMA Junkie following an initial report by Brazilian reporter Laerte Viana.
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Almeida, 34, lost a decision to Rizvan Kuniev at UFC Fight Night 266 on Saturday in yet another lackluster affair. The loss came on the heels of a largely dull bout vs. Alexander Volkov, which Almeida lost by controversial decision.
The belief by Almeida’s team is that size and strength is contributing not only to his defeats, but also the low action. Almeida often weighs in the 230 to 240-pound range, while many opponents tip the scales at the 265 max.
Almeida won his UFC contract at light heavyweight on Dana White’s Contender Series, then debuted in the division. Both were successful missions, but when he dominated a short-notice opportunity vs. Parker Porter at heavyweight, he decided to stick there.
Almeida became a contender in the division with wins over Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Serghei Spivac, and Alexandr Romanov, among others. Now, he’ll look to do the same and more at light heavyweight.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC heavyweight contender announces he’s changing divisions
