Jailton “Malhadinho” Almeida enters UFC 321 as one of the heavyweight division’s most dominant forces — a grappling phenom whose mix of explosive takedowns, crushing top control, and elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu has overwhelmed nearly every opponent. Ranked among the world’s best, Almeida now prepares to test his relentless ground game against the striking prowess of Alexander Volkov. Here are his top three UFC performances to date:
1. Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac – UFC 311 (Inglewood)
In a clash between two grappling specialists, Almeida put on a clinic in pressure and power. He secured multiple takedowns before unleashing a barrage of ground-and-pound to finish Serghei Spivac by first-round TKO. The dominant win earned him a Performance of the Night bonus and underscored his evolution into a complete heavyweight threat capable of ending fights with both strikes and submissions.
2. Almeida vs. Alexander Romanov – UFC 302 (Newark)
Facing another top-tier wrestler, Almeida wasted no time asserting control. He dragged Alexander Romanov to the mat early, methodically advanced position, and locked in a rear-naked choke submission in under three minutes. The swift finish silenced critics of his prior decision win over Derrick Lewis and reaffirmed his reputation as one of the division’s most dangerous finishers.
3. Almeida vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik – UFC on ABC 4 (Charlotte)
Against knockout artist Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Almeida delivered one of his most flawless performances. He closed the distance immediately, secured a clean takedown, and transitioned seamlessly to the back before forcing a first-round rear-naked choke. The victory earned him another Performance of the Night bonus and demonstrated his unmatched ability to neutralize elite strikers through tactical dominance and precision grappling.