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Jailton Almeida of Brazil prepares to face Curtis Blaydes in a heavyweight fight during the UFC 299 event at Kaseya Center on March 09, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
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Jailton Almeida's Three-Step Plan To Fighting For UFC Gold

Brazilian Heavyweight Lays Out Ideal 2025 Ahead Of Key Clash At UFC 311 On Saturday

Do not suggest to Jailton Almeida that he is not “overly big for heavyweight” because the Top 10 heavyweight vehemently disagrees with the assessment, and has no time for arguments

“I disagree with the idea that I am small for the category,” began Almeida, sharing his thoughts via a translator, when asked about the advantages of fighting at his natural walking weight, unlike some of his more burly and robust contemporaries. “So far, I have not faced any fighters who are bigger or stronger than me in the heavyweight division, so this statement is not true.

“Today, I weigh 110 kg and I feel like a strong, fast and energetic heavyweight.”

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Almeida is most certainly all of those things, and he touches down in Los Angeles this week to begin his fourth year on the roster with a showdown against Serghei Spivac at UFC 311 on Saturday night.

It’s the fourth consecutive matchup against a Top 15 opponent for the Dana White’s Contender Series grad, who earned his contract with a dominant finish over Nasrudin Nasrudinov and opened his UFC career at light heavyweight before migrating north to the heavyweight ranks.

His third contest in the division came against Jairzinho Rozenstruik, a rankings mainstay who has faced a majority of the top names to compete in the weight class over the last several years. His fourth fight was against Derrick Lewis, the man with the most knockout wins in the history of the UFC that has fought for both the undisputed and interim heavyweight titles.

Jailton Almeida of Brazil works for a submission against Alexandr Romanov of Moldova in a heavyweight fight during the UFC 302 event at Prudential Center on June 01, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Jailton Almeida of Brazil works for a submission against Alexandr Romanov of Moldova in a heavyweight fight during the UFC 302 event at Prudential Center on June 01, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Each of those contests were main event assignments and Almeida won them both, advancing his record to 6-0 inside the Octagon and putting himself within striking distance of a championship opportunity; an impressive feat for someone to accomplish in just two years. But last year, the sculpted 33-year-old ran into his first setback since arriving on the biggest stage in the sport, almost literally. 

Paired off with perennial contender Curtis Blaydes at UFC 299 in Miami, Almeida won the opening round on all three scorecards, but was a little hurried when crashing forward in pursuit of another takedown early in the second round. Blaydes defended well and unleashed a torrent of strikes that halted the contest just 36 seconds into the middle frame, ending the Brazilian’s dominant march towards the top of the division.

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“I feel completely adapted to the (UFC); I feel like the UFC is my home,” said Almeida when asked about his expedient rise in the heavyweight ranks and how much more settled he feels now at the outset of another year of competing against the best the division has to offer. “I'm very calm in my fights, and that's why I'm always able to impose my game very well.”

The MMA internet is not the most forgiving or reasonable place when it comes to a fighter on a lengthy run of success stumbling as Almeida did against Blaydes, preferring to throw around terms like “fraud check” and question the overall levels of someone like Almeida rather than applauding Blaydes for his efforts and acknowledging the Colorado-based fighter’s bona fides.

Jailton Almeida of Brazil reacts after his submission victory against Alexandr Romanov of Moldova in a heavyweight fight during the UFC 302 event at Prudential Center on June 01, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Jailton Almeida of Brazil reacts after his submission victory against Alexandr Romanov of Moldova in a heavyweight fight during the UFC 302 event at Prudential Center on June 01, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Image

The effort reset the floor in terms of Almeida’s position in the divisional hierarchy, and he heads into his 2025 campaign aiming to redefine his ceiling, beginning with this weekend’s matchup against the underrated Spivac.

Set to turn 30 just a couple days after UFC 311, Spivac similarly enters off a first-round submission win, having made quick work of Polish veteran Marcin Tybura in his lone appearance of 2024. Despite a 7-2 mark over his last nine fights, the seventh-ranked “Polar Bear” is often dismissed as a contender as a result of previous losses to interim champ Tom Aspinall and former interim titleholder Ciryl Gane.

UFC 311 MAIN EVENT: Makhachev Erases All Doubt | Tsarkukyan's Journey

Those rumblings and questions made their way to Almeida, who rebounded by making a quick return to the win column three months later.

“It was excellent, because a lot of people started to question me because of my loss to Blaydes, even though I completely dominated the first round,” he said in regards to his first-round submission win over Alexandr Romanov at UFC 302. “It was good so people don't forget who Jailton Malhadinho is: (someone) who always finishes his fights; (21 wins and 20 finishes).”

Jailton Almeida | Best Finishes
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Jailton Almeida | Best Finishes
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With Jon Jones having retained his title and Aspinall still brandishing an interim belt after having stopped Blaydes last July in Manchester, most are hoping the two men will unify the belts later this year. That leaves Gane, who earned a debated split decision win over Alexander Volkov at UFC 310, waiting in the wings, and positions him as a perfect target for Almeida, provided he handles business this weekend at the Intuit Dome.

“I plan on having three fights this year,” he said. “My main goal is Spivac now, then after that, a title eliminator against Ciryl Gane, and at the end of the year, facing the winner of Jon Jones versus (Tom) Aspinall for the UFC heavyweight title.”

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But Spivac blew through Lewis nine months before Almeida bested him in Sao Paulo, submitting the Houston native in the first round, and enters this weekend’s contest stationed one spot ahead of Almeida in the rankings. 

“He's a very tough athlete,” the Brazilian said when asked about his opponent. “I see a lot of comments on the internet belittling Spivac, but he's a complete and very strong fighter. I consider myself better than him in all areas of the fight, but he's definitely very good.

Order UFC 311: Makhachev vs Tsarukyan 2 Now

“This fight is very important for my career,” he added, shifting his focus to how he envisions the year playing out. “I hope to win well and get closer to the title fight.

“I believe this is it; one more and I will be in the title fight.”

In many divisions, a tidy three-fight winning streak following a stoppage loss may feel like nowhere near enough to merit a championship opportunity, but things are different in the heavier weight classes, especially with things at the top of the heavyweight ranks unsettled at the moment.

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It’s a fairly reasonable three-step plan, one that only gets rolling with a win this weekend.

So how does Almeida see that happening?

“You’ll have to wait until January 18,” he began when asked to forecast how things play out with Spivac on Saturday, adding, “but you’ll like it.”
 

UFC 311: Makhachev vs Moicano took place live from Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on January 18, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!