Jailton Almeida, once hailed as a promising heavyweight contender, has seen his hopes of a Tom Aspinall fight sharply diminish following recent setbacks. The Brazilian fighter, known as ‘Malhadinho,’ had boldly expressed readiness to challenge Aspinall after UFC president Dana White announced Jon Jones’ retirement. However, Almeida’s momentum stalled after a string of disappointing results in late 2023 and early 2024.
Almeida had been building a strong case after rebounding from his first UFC loss to Curtis Blaydes with dominant first-round finishes over Alexandr Romanov and Serghei Spivac. Confident from this winning streak, he publicly claimed he was prepared to take on Aspinall, the newly crowned heavyweight champion. Yet, his confidence was shattered after a loss to Alexander Volkov at UFC 321 last October, where judges ruled that Almeida had failed to maintain enough control throughout the fight.
Almeida’s Bold Statements Ahead of UFC 321 Clash
Prior to his bout with Volkov, Almeida did not shy away from calling out Tom Aspinall. In interviews, he insisted that Aspinall’s style and stamina could be exploited, claiming he was the only fighter truly willing and ready to face the champion.
“Nobody really seems to want to fight Aspinall, but I do,”
Almeida declared days before the UFC 321 event.
“I need to put out there that I am available. I want it. It seems like I’m the only one that really wants it, and is ready to beat Aspinall,”
he added.
Earlier, he had elaborated on the style matchup, suggesting that while Aspinall was fast and skilled, he had yet to be tested beyond three rounds. Almeida claimed his own training in longer, more grueling sparring sessions gave him an edge.
“It’s going to be a great fight because our styles are similar. He’s fast. Not surprisingly he’s the champion,”
Almeida explained.
“What I’ve seen from Tom Aspinall is that he doesn’t fight five rounds. He’s never fought five rounds in his life. He gets tired after the second. Tom Aspinall was never tested to fight more than three rounds. I’m doing six, seven rounds in the gym already, and I’m not even training to fight yet.
“If I fight Tom Aspinall, I’ll take him to the third round to see how he does,”
Almeida added.
“But Aspinall is no fool, he’s very experienced and has fought tough opponents, so I have to be smart and come up with a good strategy to beat him.”
Recent Losses Undermine Almeida’s Heavyweight Title Aspirations
Following these assertions, Almeida’s form took a worrying turn. After the defeat to Volkov, he suffered yet another loss at UFC Vegas 113 in February 2024, falling short against Rizvan Kuniev. This back-to-back losing streak has significantly hurt his standing within the competitive heavyweight division and pushed him further from any title contention opportunities.
Almeida’s performances have drawn sharp criticism from UFC fans and analysts alike. Some have questioned whether the Brazilian heavyweight still belongs on the UFC roster amid what many perceive as a decline in his competitive level.
Almeida Claims Nationality Influences Fan Criticism
Adding to his frustration, Almeida has suggested that part of the hostile reaction he receives is tied to his Brazilian heritage. Before his fight against Kuniev, he reflected on the backlash following his last defeat and argued that similar performances by fighters of other nationalities might be more positively received.
“I see that a lot of people talked about (the fight), saying they didn’t like it, that it was boring and all that, but they say that because I’m Brazilian, right?”
Almeida said.
He acknowledged that criticism and praise come with the territory, but implied that the response towards him is sometimes unfairly harsh because of his background.
“If it were a foreigner, everyone would like it. But life goes on. No matter what, we move forward.
“A lot of people who are talking wish they were where I am today. That’s how it is. We’re going to get criticism and praise. That’s life, and that’s why we choose this sport.”
Impact on Almeida’s Career and Future Prospects
Jailton Almeida’s recent struggles have made his challenge to Tom Aspinall seem increasingly unlikely in the near term. With his loss at UFC Vegas 113, Almeida must now work to recover both confidence and form if he intends to remain a viable contender in the UFC’s heavyweight roster. The backlash and calls for his removal from the promotion only add pressure to his situation.
Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall continues to hold the heavyweight crown, poised to face challengers with a well-established reputation in the division. Almeida’s ambitions to compete at that level now depend heavily on his ability to demonstrate renewed commitment and improvement.
How Almeida responds to this critical phase will determine whether he can still secure future fights against top contenders like Aspinall or Ciryl Gane, or if he will have to recalibrate his career path within the UFC landscape.
