Jailton Almeida calls out Ciryl Gane in UFC’s messy heavyweight title picture after Lewis win

Jailton Almeida
continued to dominate the UFC’s heavyweight division in a unique way on Saturday.

Almeida (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) executed a takedown-heavy strategy that resulted in a UFC heavyweight record for ground control time, surpassing 21 minutes. He showcased his dominance by defeating Derrick Lewis (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) in the main event of UFC Fight Night 231 in Sao Paulo. With this win, Almeida extended his unbeaten UFC record to 6-0, much to the delight of his home fans.

It’s worth noting that Almeida had previously gone to a decision only once, which resulted in his sole loss nearly six years ago. This loss occurred well before his arrival in the UFC after a victory on Dana White’s Contender Series. While there were moments of striking exchanges between Almeida and Lewis, Almeida’s intention was clearly to avoid a slugfest.

Nevertheless, Almeida’s dominant performance earned him a unanimous decision victory and the new UFC record. However, his streak of finishes (14) and post-fight bonuses (three) came to an end. Almeida had to adjust his focus from Curtis Blaydes to Lewis on short notice when Blaydes withdrew from the fight. This led to Almeida’s wrestling-centric game plan.

In his post-fight interview, Almeida said through a translator, “Remember that I said he wanted a brawl and I promised a show? Did I give you guys a show or what? We knew he had heavy hands, so we spent 15 or 20 days crafting a strategy for this fight. We were able to execute it, control him on the ground, and avoid his powerful right hand. I took some shots, but I didn’t feel them.”

The UFC’s heavyweight title picture is currently chaotic, which is not unusual for the division. Jon Jones, the champion who was scheduled to headline UFC 295 against former champ Stipe Miocic, is sidelined for at least eight months due to an injury. Miocic was not granted an interim title shot and will wait for a matchup against Jones.

Instead, UFC 295 will feature an interim heavyweight championship bout between Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall. The winner of this fight will then await the victor of the Jones-Miocic matchup.

Given the circumstances, contenders like Almeida must continue fighting while the clock ticks for those in title contention. Therefore, Almeida called out former interim champion
Ciryl Gane
(12-2 MMAA, 9-2 UFC).

“I want Ciryl Gane,” Almeida declared regarding the Frenchman. “We can fight in Paris, Salvador, or anywhere. I’m ready. Let’s do it, Ciryl Gane.”

Gane challenged Jones for the vacant heavyweight title earlier this year but was submitted in the first round. However, he bounced back with a bonus-winning TKO victory over Serghei Spivac at UFC Paris in front of his hometown fans. After starting his career with ten straight wins, Gane has alternated wins and losses in his four most recent fights, both of which were for championship belts against Jones and Francis Ngannou.

For more coverage of the event, visit MMA Junkie’s UFC Fight Night 231 event hub.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie