Jailton Jesus Almeida Júnior[3] (born 28 June 1991) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of November 7, 2023, he is #7 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.[4]

Jailton Almeida
Almeida in 2023
BornJailton Jesus Almeida Júnior
(1991-06-28) 28 June 1991 (age 32)
Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Other namesMalhadinho
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight241 lb (109 kg; 17 st 3 lb)
DivisionWelterweight (2012, 2016)
Middleweight (2017–2018)
Light Heavyweight (2019–2022)
Heavyweight (2019, 2022–present)
Reach79 in (201 cm)[1]
StanceOrthodox
Fighting out ofSalvador, Bahia, Brazil
TeamLG System
RankBlack belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu[2]
Years active2012–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total23
Wins20
By knockout7
By submission12
By decision1
Losses3
By knockout2
By decision1
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Background edit

Almeida was born in the Brotas neighborhood of Salvador. Almeida's first dream was to be a football player, his family's finances became an obstacle after he was required to acquire $10,000 real to join a club. He ended up following his father's footsteps into fighting, beginning by training boxing at the age of six, and starting Brazilian jiu-jitsu at 11.[2] He eventually started training mixed martial arts as his jiu-jitsu training partners were training it. Financial difficulties also imposed themselves in martial arts, leading Almeida to work as a doorman and guard while his dream of being a fighter was put on hold.[5][6]

Almeida is the son of divorced parents. He has 11 siblings, his older brother Alexandre disappeared one day after being involved with a criminal syndicate and was never seen again.[5][6]

Mixed martial arts career edit

Early career edit

To start his professional mixed martial arts career, Almeida racked a 13–2 record in Brazilian regional circuit.

Dana White's Contender Series edit

After claiming the Thunder Fight title, Almeida was invited to face Nasrudin Nasrudinov at Dana White's Contender Series 39 on September 14, 2021. He won the bout via second-round submission and was awarded a UFC contract.[7]

Ultimate Fighting Championship edit

Almeida was scheduled to make his promotional debut against Danilo Marques on November 13, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 197.[8] However Marques required surgery so the bout was rescheduled for February 5, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 200.[9] Almeida won the fight via technical knockout in round one.[10]

Move up to heavyweight edit

As his sophomore appearance in the organization, Almeida was scheduled to face Maxim Grishin on May 21, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 206.[11] However, Grishin pulled out due to undisclosed reasons in late April. Almeida decided to move up to heavyweight to face Parker Porter.[12] He won the fight via rear-naked choke in round one.[13]

As the first bout of his new contract, Almeida was scheduled to face Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC 279 on September 10, 2022.[14] However, Abdurakhimov was forced to withdraw due to visa issues and was replaced by Anton Turkalj at a catchweight of 220 pounds.[15] He dominated the bout, taking down Turkalj and submitting him at the end of the first round via rear-naked choke.[16] He received his first Performance of the Night bonus award.[17]

The bout against Shamil Abdurakhimov was rebooked for UFC 280 on October 22, 2022.[18] With that date also falling through, the pair was re-booked for a third time at UFC 283.[19] Almeida won the fight via technical knockout in the second round.[20] With this win, he received the Performance of the Night award.[21]

Almeida faced Jairzinho Rozenstruik on May 13, 2023, at UFC on ABC 4.[22] He won the bout via rear naked choke in first round.[23] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[24]

Almeida was scheduled to face Curtis Blaydes on November 4, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 231.[25] However, Blaydes withdrew for unknown reasons and was replaced by former UFC Heavyweight Championship challenger Derrick Lewis.[26] Almeida won the fight via unanimous decision.[27] He also registered 21:10 of ground control time, the record for a UFC heavyweight bout and fourth-most in UFC history.[28][29] Almeida's performance and the fight were criticized by fans and fellow fighters for a lack of offense.[30][31][32]

Almeida faced Curtis Blaydes on March 9, 2024, at UFC 299.[33] After scoring multiple takedowns and controlling the first round with his grappling, Almeida lost the fight via knockout early in the second round.[34]

Almeida was scheduled to face Alexander Volkov on June 1, 2024 at UFC 302.[35] However, the bout was scrapped for unknown reasons and Volkov was booked for UFC on ABC 6 against Sergei Pavlovich.[36] Almeida is now expected to face Alexander Romanov instead.[37]

Championships and accomplishments edit

Mixed martial arts record edit

Professional record breakdown
23 matches 20 wins 3 losses
By knockout 7 2
By submission 12 0
By decision 1 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 20–3 Curtis Blaydes KO (punches) UFC 299 March 9, 2024 2 0:36 Miami, Florida, United States
Win 20–2 Derrick Lewis Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Lewis November 4, 2023 5 5:00 São Paulo, Brazil
Win 19–2 Jairzinho Rozenstruik Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC on ABC: Rozenstruik vs. Almeida May 13, 2023 1 3:43 Charlotte, North Carolina, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 18–2 Shamil Abdurakhimov TKO (punches) UFC 283 January 21, 2023 2 2:56 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Performance of the Night.
Win 17–2 Anton Turkalj Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC 279 September 10, 2022 1 4:27 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Catchweight (220 lb) bout. Performance of the Night.
Win 16–2 Parker Porter Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Vieira May 21, 2022 1 4:35 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Return to Heavyweight.
Win 15–2 Danilo Marques TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland February 5, 2022 1 2:57 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 14–2 Nasrudin Nasrudinov Submission (rear-naked choke) Dana White's Contender Series 39 September 14, 2021 2 1:49 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 13–2 Edvaldo de Oliveira Submission (rear-naked choke) Thunder Fight 24 February 21, 2021 1 3:40 São Paulo, Brazil Won the Thunder Fight Light Heavyweight Championship.
Win 12–2 Ildemar Alcântara Submission (arm-triangle choke) Thunder Fight 23 October 11, 2020 1 4:49 São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
Win 11–2 Leonardo Argemiro Vasconcelos Correa TKO (punches) Future FC 11 January 17, 2020 1 1:58 São Paulo, Brazil
Win 10–2 Ednaldo Oliveira Submission (arm-triangle choke) Fight On 6 July 13, 2019 2 1:51 Salvador, Brazil Light Heavyweight debut. Won the vacant FON Light Heavyweight Championship.
Win 9–2 Rian Tavares TKO (punches) Imperium MMA Pro 14 March 16, 2019 1 2:34 Feira de Santana, Brazil
Win 8–2 Italo Nascimento KO (punches) Premier Fight League 20 February 23, 2019 1 2:05 Lauro de Freitas, Brazil Heavyweight debut.
Win 7–2 Douglas Garcia Submission (rear-naked choke) JF Fight Evolution 19 October 20, 2018 1 2:30 Juiz de Fora, Brazil
Win 6–2 David Allan TKO (punches) Fight On: Solidário July 21, 2018 1 1:26 Salvador, Brazil
Loss 5–2 Bruno Assis Decision (unanimous) Shooto Brazil 80 January 28, 2018 3 5:00 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Win 5–1 Anderson Oliveira do Nascimento Submission (rear-naked choke) Fight On 5 September 23, 2017 1 4:16 Salvador, Brazil
Loss 4–1 Tyago Moreira KO (punch) Katana Fight 3 August 5, 2017 1 0:16 Colombo, Brazil
Win 4–0 Fagner Rakchal TKO (punches) Fight On 4 April 1, 2017 2 1:15 Salvador, Brazil Middleweight debut.
Win 3–0 Roberto Bispo Silva Submission (rear-naked choke) Cross Fighting Championship 2 January 16, 2016 2 1:30 Itabuna, Brazil
Win 2–0 Leonardo Alves Submission (rear-naked choke) Conquista Kombat Championship November 17, 2012 1 0:49 Vitória da Conquista, Brazil
Win 1–0 Diego Reis Submission (rear-naked choke) Nocaute: MMA Fight 2 September 29, 2012 1 N/A Eunápolis, Brazil Welterweight debut.

[40]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Stats | UFC". ufcstats.com.
  2. ^ a b Marcelo Alonso (June 9, 2022). "Jailton Almeida Prepared for Wild Battle With Shamil Abdurakhimov in September". Sherdog.
  3. ^ "Jailton Almeida: Fighting Is in my Blood". Sherdog. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  4. ^ "UFC Rankings | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  5. ^ a b "Porteiro, vigilante, e lutador do UFC (?): Jailton Malhadinho quer impressionar Dana e levar contrato". ge (in Brazilian Portuguese). 13 September 2021. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  6. ^ a b "Brasileiro já foi de quase goleiro do Vitória a porteiro e busca brilhar no UFC pelo irmão, desaparecido há 10 anos". ESPN.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  7. ^ John Morgan (September 14, 2021). "Dana White's Contender Series 39 results: Five more fighters secure UFC deals". MMAjunkie.com.
  8. ^ Marcel Dorff (2021-09-17). "Jailton Almeida maakt UFC debuut tegen Danilo Marques op 13 november". MMA DNA (in Dutch). Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  9. ^ Ribas, Diego; Vegas, em Las (2021-10-08). "Danilo Marques se lesiona e luta com Malhadinho no UFC é adiada". Ag. Fight - Agência de notícias (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  10. ^ Bitter, Shawn (2022-02-05). "UFC Vegas 47: Jailton Almeida Impresses, Puts Away Danilo Marques In Debut". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  11. ^ "UFC | Toptalent Almeida vecht tegen Grishin op 21 mei". Eurosport (in Dutch). 2022-03-14. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
  12. ^ Guilherme Cruz (2022-04-20). "With Maxim Grishin out, Jailton Almeida moves up to heavyweight to fight Parker Porter at UFC Vegas 55". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  13. ^ Anderson, Jay (2022-05-21). "UFC Vegas 55: Jailton Almeida Puts on Dominant Performance, Submits Parker Porter". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  14. ^ Lucas Rezende (June 4, 2022). "Jailton Almeida renews UFC contract, meets Shamil Abdurakhimov in September". bloodyelbow.com.
  15. ^ Staff (2022-09-01). "UFC Fight Roundup: Jennifer Maia tries to snap skid, Jailton Almeida bulks down for UFC 279". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  16. ^ Bitter, Shawn (2022-09-10). "UFC 279: Jailton Almeida Impresses Again, Submits Anton Turkalj". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-09-12.
  17. ^ a b Dan Hiergesell (2022-09-11). "UFC 279 bonuses: Nate Diaz banks $50K with first finish since 2016". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  18. ^ Tristen Critchfield (2022-09-20). "UFC 280 update: Jailton Almeida, Shamil Abdurakhimov to clash in Abu Dhabi". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  19. ^ Anderson, Jay (2022-11-01). "Jailton Almeida Rebooked Opposite Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC 283". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
  20. ^ Val Dewar (2023-01-21). "UFC 283: Jailton Almeida now 4-0 in octagon with TKO of Shamil Abdurakhimov". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  21. ^ a b Staff (2023-01-22). "UFC 283 bonuses: Jamahal Hill vs. Glover Teixeira wins Fight of the Night". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  22. ^ Alexander K. Lee (2023-02-20). "Jailton Almeida to fight Jairzinho Rozenstruik at May 13 UFC event". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  23. ^ Hiergesell, Dan (2023-05-13). "Highlights! Almeida Smothers 'Bigi Boy' With Early Submission". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
  24. ^ a b Matt Erickson (2023-05-13). "UFC on ABC 4 bonuses: An all-time record holder, plus $50,000 despite a weight miss". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
  25. ^ Jed Meshew (2023-06-01). "Curtis Blaydes vs. Jailton Almeida targeted for UFC main event in Sao Paulo". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  26. ^ Nolan King and Mike Bohn (2023-10-09). "Derrick Lewis replaces Curtis Blaydes, headlines UFC Sao Paulo vs. Jailton Almeida". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  27. ^ Dewar, Val (2023-11-05). "UFC Sao Paulo: Jailton Almeida Outgrapples Derrick Lewis for Five Rounds". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  28. ^ a b c Bohn, Mike (2023-11-05). "UFC Fight Night 231 post-event facts: Jailton Almeida sets ground control time record". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  29. ^ a b c Baldwin, Nick (2023-11-05). "Almeida ragdolls Lewis in UFC Sao Paulo main event". theScore.com. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  30. ^ Bohn, Mike (2023-11-05). "Social media reacts to Jailton Almeida's one-sided win over Derrick Lewis at UFC Fight Night 231". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  31. ^ Marrocco, Steven (2023-11-05). "'We watch heavyweights for the KOs': Fighters react to Jailton Almeida's lackluster win over Derrick Lewis". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  32. ^ Kerman, Garrett (2023-11-05). "X reacts to Jailton Almeida's snooze fest performance". ClutchPoints. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  33. ^ Martin, Damon (2023-12-12). "Jailton Almeida vs. Curtis Blaydes rebooked for UFC 299 in March". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  34. ^ Dewar, Val (2024-03-10). "Curtis Blaydes Scores Unbelievable Comeback TKO Win Over Almeida". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  35. ^ Simon Samano and Nolan King (2024-03-25). "Jailton Almeida books quick turnaround fight vs. Alexander Volkov at UFC 302 on June 1". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  36. ^ Damon Martin (2024-03-28). "Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker set as main event, 4 more fights announced for UFC Saudi Arabia on June 22". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  37. ^ Sherdog.com. "Jailton Almeida vs. Alexander Romanov Booked for UFC 302 on June 1". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  38. ^ a b c "UFC Records - All Fighters". statleaders.ufc.com. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  39. ^ "Record Book | UFC Heavyweights - Round". statleaders.ufc.com. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  40. ^ "Jailton "Malhadinho" Almeida". Sherdog. Retrieved 2022-06-16.

External links edit