Jailton Almeida is actively seeking his next opportunity in the UFC and is expressing a willingness to potentially return to the light heavyweight division for a fight.
Following his impressive first-round submission victory over Serghei Spivac in January, which extended his UFC record to 8-1, “Malhadinho” had initially hoped that this dominant performance would position him for potential number one contender matchups against top heavyweights like Ciryl Gane or Alexander Volkov.
However, when neither of those sought-after fights materialized, Almeida redirected his attention towards interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who is also voicing frustration with the current lack of clarity surrounding champion Jon Jones`s future plans.
Almeida openly shared his challenges, remarking with a chuckle that the difficulty in securing a fight feels reminiscent of his earlier career in Brazil. He observed that among the higher-ranked fighters in his division, only Tom Aspinall appears to acknowledge his name, while others, specifically mentioning Gane and Volkov, seem hesitant to discuss facing him.
Despite the uncertainty, Almeida maintains a demanding training schedule, training twice daily in Brazil, ready to step in on short notice if a compelling opportunity arises. Given Volkov`s public statements about not wanting the fight and Gane`s temporary step back for movie commitments, Almeida strongly believes he should be the top candidate to challenge Aspinall for the interim title.
Almeida voiced his opinion that a fight between Ciryl Gane and Tom Aspinall would be unfair, arguing that he is the only contender near the top of the division coming off a decisive recent win. He highlighted that Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov have already had their chances against Aspinall, and Curtis Blaydes is already booked for another bout. This situation, in Almeida`s view, leaves him as the most logical choice among the top contenders. He also added that Gane`s last victory was based on what he considered a questionable decision, further solidifying his argument for deserving the next title shot.
With the heavyweight title picture currently gridlocked, Almeida decided to shift his focus and call out Magomed Ankalaev. He referenced Ankalaev`s recent social media post where the Russian fighter, seeking an opponent, specifically asked if anyone in the light heavyweight division was willing to fight him at International Fight Week on June 28th.
Almeida, who originally began his UFC journey at 205 pounds before transitioning to the heavyweight division, promptly responded, volunteering himself as the first fighter ready to take on the highly-ranked Russian contender.
Affirming his readiness by saying “I’m up for it,” Almeida also subtly criticized Ankalaev`s tone, perceiving it as overly confident (“The audacity of him…”). He reasoned that preparing for a significant fight requires adequate time, suggesting that Ankalaev might be trying to gain attention (“clout chasing”) by issuing callouts when fighters like Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka are not immediately available. Consequently, Almeida concluded that since attractive fights are scarce in the heavyweight division, he is prepared to make the demanding weight cut back down to light heavyweight—provided Ankalaev agrees—to make this potential matchup a reality.
Almeida mentioned his current weight is around 240 pounds, but believes the effort required to cut down to light heavyweight would be less challenging now compared to previous times, attributing this to a slightly higher body fat percentage. He also revealed that Alex Pereira had previously asked for his assistance in preparing for a fight against Ankalaev, which he couldn`t provide due to an injury at the time. Now, however, Almeida is willing to step into the octagon to compete against Ankalaev himself.
Regarding a potential fight against Ankalaev, Almeida issued a warning: “The mistake he makes against me, if he does down on his back, he’s not getting back up.” He reiterated his reputation as a strong finisher, capable of ending fights decisively through either knockout or submission.
