Jailton Almeida proved once again why he is one of the most promising prospects in the UFC heavyweight division, as he dominated Derrick Lewis on the mat for five rounds and earned a unanimous decision victory in the main event of UFC Sao Paulo on Saturday night. Almeida controlled Lewis for a UFC record of 21 minutes and 10 seconds, landing six takedowns and four submission attempts, while avoiding the knockout power of the American. The judges scored the bout 50-44, 50-44 and 50-45 in favor of Almeida, who extended his unbeaten streak to 21 fights and improved his UFC record to 5-0.
Lewis unable to capitalize on his striking advantage
Lewis, who took the fight on short notice after Almeida’s original opponent, Alexander Volkov, withdrew due to injury, was hoping to use his heavy hands to end the fight early. Lewis is the UFC’s all-time knockout leader in the heavyweight division, with 12 finishes by strikes. However, he was unable to land any significant blows on Almeida, who quickly closed the distance and took him down in every round. Lewis managed to get up a few times, but he was visibly exhausted and unable to mount any offense. Lewis landed only 20 of his 39 significant strikes, while Almeida connected with 67 of his 115.
Almeida calls out Gane for a title eliminator
After the fight, Almeida praised Lewis for his toughness and thanked his father, who was in his corner, for his support. He also called out former interim champion Ciryl Gane, who is currently ranked No. 2 in the division, for a potential title eliminator. Almeida said he wants to face the best fighters in the world and prove himself as a worthy contender for the belt. Gane, who lost his interim title to Francis Ngannou at UFC 270 in January, has not responded to Almeida’s challenge yet. Ngannou is expected to defend his undisputed title against Jon Jones later this year.
