Jailton Almeida’s final UFC appearance lasted just 15 minutes, but it was enough to seal his fate. Facing Rizvan Kuniev on short notice at UFC Vegas 102, the Brazilian heavyweight looked unrecognizable from the submission artist who first came onto the scene and was a legitimate threat in his division.
Almeida struggled to initiate takedowns and absorbed heavy leg kicks that visibly compromised his movement. When he did drag Kuniev to the canvas, he offered little offensive threat. The loss now stands as his last Octagon performance. Brazilian UFC insider Laerte Viana reported on X that Almeida received his release notice this Wednesday morning.
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Jailton AlmeidaChris Unger/Zuffa LLC-GettyImages
(Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC-GettyImages)
The decision was shocking given his no. 8 ranking and recent main event experience. However, it seems the UFC brass grew increasingly concerned with his stylistic stagnation over his past three outings.
Almeida went 3-2 in his latest five-fight stretch, with his most recent loss coming against unranked opposition.
The heavyweight division is thin on contenders and thick on finishers, a space where Almeida’s careful approach no longer fits.
Jailton’s UFC Career
The Brazilian’s UFC tenure ends with an 8-3 record inside the Octagon.
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He arrived in 2021 as a Dana White’s Contender Series graduate with legitimate hype (via UFC on YouTube):
His early run featured four consecutive finishes, including a rear-naked choke submission on Jairzinho Rozenstruik (via UFC Espanol on YouTube):
But the Derrick Lewis fight exposed a hesitation to engage, and Almeida never fully recovered his killer instinct. His grappling-centric style, once his greatest weapon, became a predictable crutch that top-heavyweights learned to neutralise.
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His first loss in the promotion was a crushing defeat to the perennial contender Curtis Blaydes (ESPN MMA on Twitter):
What’s Next for Almeida?
At 33 years old, Almeida still possesses the skills to thrive elsewhere. The PFL and ONE Championship both maintain active heavyweight divisions that value submission specialists.
His name recognition alone makes him an immediate free agent target. The question is whether he can rebuild the aura of invincibility he carried in his early career.
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The UFC has not confirmed the release, nor has Almeida’s team. But the silence speaks volumes about how swiftly fortunes change in mixed martial arts.
His departure serves as another reminder that the UFC’s middle-of-the-pack fighters enjoy no job security. They must solidify their place in the promotion either through exciting fight styles or through unblemished records.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the MMA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
