Jailton Almeida sets new UFC record in fight against Derrick Lewis. How did it go down?

In a clash of styles at UFC Sao Paulo, it was the hometown boy who came out on top in a five-round bout against one of the heaviest hitters out there.

Paul RudderEnglish_ASUpdate: Nov 5th, 2023 08:37 EST

While he will undoubtedly be pleased with the victory, it’s actually a double-edged sword in that it now means he’s truly among the big boys. Indeed, from here on it will be a much tougher road for the Brazilian fighter.

Jailton Almeida outlasts heavy-hitting Derrick Lewis

On Saturday night, Jailton Almeida put on a disciplined and tactical performance as he dominated Derrick Lewis with an array of takedowns and submission attempts – he had 6 of 5 and 4 respectively – across five rounds in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Being a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, it was always expected that Almeida would control the fight when it came to grappling, even more so when considering that Lewis took the fight on short notice. Indeed, his 21:10 of control time is now a record in the UFC. Yet, it’s worth noting that it wasn’t until there were just 45 seconds left in the fight, that he managed to get a double leg before slamming Lewis to the floor.

Jailton Almeida's 21:10 of control time vs. Derrick Lewis is a new single-fight UFC heavyweight record. pic.twitter.com/Dzx8XQu2X1

— UFC (@ufc) November 5, 2023