Heavyweight standout [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] is making quite the impression on UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag].
Almeida’s tear through the division continued this past Saturday at UFC on ABC 4 in Charlotte, N.C., where he dismantled Jairzinho Rozenstruik before a first-round submission win by rear-naked choke in the main event.
The result pushed Almeida’s overall winning streak to 14 fights, as he hasn’t lost since January 2018. That includes his first five UFC appearances since he secured a contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2021. All five of his UFC victories have been finishes.
Needless to say, White is quite pleased with what he’s seen in such a short time and believes Almeida (19-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) is primed for a big future.
“We were looking to make a main event for this card. That’s why we picked these two,” White told reporters at the UFC on ABC 4 post-event news conference. “We knew it was going to be – this guy looks like he’s going to be a star in the heavyweight division. …
“His double leg is insane. When he gets that top position, he doesn’t screw around. He goes in there and tries to finish. I have a lot of high hopes for this kid. I think he’s going to be something special.”
It’s been quite the run for the 31-year-old Brazilian, who should make a sizable jump from 12 in the UFC heavyweight rankings after beating No. 9 Rozenstruik in dominant fashion.
Following his victory, Almeida called for a fight with Tai Tuivasa and said he expects to fight for the UFC heavyweight championship in 2024.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 4.