Jailton Almeida expressed both surprise and satisfaction upon hearing UFC CEO Dana White`s announcement that Jon Jones was officially retiring from the sport. This news effectively elevated Tom Aspinall to the status of undisputed heavyweight champion, clearing a significant bottleneck in the division. Almeida, known as “Malhadinho,” is now hopeful that this change will pave the way for a championship showdown against Aspinall.
Almeida has been in strong form recently, securing back-to-back first-round finishes against Alexandr Romanov and Serghei Spivac. These victories helped him rebound after suffering his first loss in the UFC. Currently, several fighters are ranked ahead of him in the official UFC heavyweight list: Ciryl Gane, Alexander Volkov, Sergei Pavlovich, and Curtis Blaydes.
The activity among these top contenders varies. Ciryl Gane hasn`t competed since a close split decision win over Volkov in late 2023, which was also Volkov`s most recent bout. Curtis Blaydes, who previously defeated Almeida, experienced a very quick loss to Aspinall but recently won a split decision at UFC Baku. Sergei Pavlovich, whom Aspinall knocked out for the interim belt in late 2023, is scheduled for a fight against Waldo Cortes-Acosta in August.
“We are hopeful,” Almeida stated. He asserted that he is uniquely positioned in the division as the only fighter actively campaigning for a fight with Tom Aspinall. According to Almeida, Volkov isn`t pursuing the fight, Ciryl Gane is involved in non-fighting projects like movies, and Pavlovich has already fought Aspinall and has another bout booked. This situation, Almeida believes, makes him the clear challenger who is publicly calling out the champion.
Aspinall has mentioned Almeida as a potential future opponent alongside others. However, Almeida feels that no other heavyweight is being as vocal or proactive about securing the title shot as he is.
Almeida detailed his efforts to provoke the fight, including following Aspinall closely on Instagram and observing his training, which he views as “homework.” He is actively using social media platforms like Twitter to talk about Aspinall, send messages, and promote the potential matchup. He reiterated that he doesn`t see other fighters calling Aspinall out and positions himself as the sole contender doing so. Noting that Aspinall has discussed him on podcasts, Almeida directly appealed for a contract to be signed for them to fight.
Since joining the UFC in 2022, Almeida has an impressive record of eight wins in nine fights, with all but one of those victories coming via finish. Interestingly, Tom Aspinall holds the exact same UFC record of 8-1, but his wins boast a perfect 100 percent finish rate.
“It`s going to be a great fight because our styles are similar. He`s fast. It`s no surprise he`s the champion,” Almeida commented. He added that based on his observations, Aspinall has not demonstrated the ability to fight a full five rounds, having never done so in his career. Almeida suggests Aspinall shows signs of tiring after the second round and hasn`t truly been tested beyond three. In contrast, Almeida stated he is already training for six or seven rounds in the gym, even outside of a formal fight camp.
“If I fight Tom Aspinall, I`ll take him to the third round to see how he does,” Almeida planned, but he also acknowledged Aspinall`s intelligence, experience, and history against tough opponents, recognizing the need for a smart strategy. He concluded by emphasizing his mental readiness, stating, “To me, when the cage closes there, it`s a war. I`m ready for a war.”
Marcus Blakely