Nine days after his shocking UFC release, top-ranked Heavyweight Jailton Almeida has broken his silence.
The Heavyweight began his career inside the Octagon with an impressive six-fight win streak that included five finishes. After suffering a second-round knockout loss to Curtis Blaydes, Almeida rebounded with two more finish wins in the very first round to remain a relevant contender. Unfortunately, it all fell apart in his most recent two appearances, a controversial (and boring) decision loss to Alexander Volkov followed by dropping another decision on short-notice to Rizvan Kuniev.
Had Almeida earned the nod versus Volkov, he could’ve been fighting for the belt. Instead, he’s been dropped by the promotion entirely, as not even a promise to go back to 205-pounds could save his position on the roster in this entertainment-first era. Despite the rough changes in fortunes, Almeida is grateful to the promotion for the experience and remains optimistic about his future. He concluded his social media post with the caption, “May the new projects and challenges come — I am ready for the next chapter.”
”Guys, I’m here to thank all of you who cheer for me, who celebrate with me, and who followed my journey in the UFC,” Almeida said in Portuguese (via MMA Fighting). “I had 11 fights, 4 ‘Performance of the Night’ [bonuses], and I feel very fulfilled to be part of this organization. Thanks to the entire UFC staff, everyone who helped me and gave that support. Everyone was polite and treated me very well.”
Almeida continued, “It’s not these two losses that will define who I am. I’m a dedicated, focused, determined guy … It’s time to think about new challenges and chase new dreams. It’s going to be that same old way. We’ll have news very soon. I’ll be back on the scene again.”
Per Almeida’s management, he’s already received several offers from other fight promotions.
