Jailton Almeida remains one of the most suffocating grapplers and fastest-rising heavyweights in the UFC. Despite a razor-tight split decision loss to Alexander Volkov at UFC 321, Almeida’s recent wins over Serghei Spivac, Alexander Romanov, Derrick Lewis, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik reinforce his status as a top-five threat. Almeida has established himself with record-setting ground control, top pressure, and submission prowess. With his relentless takedowns and improving striking, he is poised for another high-profile test.
A matchup against Sergei Pavlovich is the logical next fight. Pavlovich, currently ranked No. 3, just dominated Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Jairzinho Rozenstruik after decision losses to Volkov and a KO defeat by Tom Aspinall, but he remains one of the division’s most terrifying punchers, owning six straight first-round knockouts prior to his recent setbacks. A bout with Almeida offers Pavlovich the chance to reestablish his contendership against an elite grappler, while Almeida could show he is ready to handle world-class power and top-three competition. Their distinct styles, Almeida’s grappling versus Pavlovich’s one-shot KO danger, make for a high-stakes, stylistic chess match and a clear-cut heavyweight eliminator.
Last Five Fights – Jailton Almeida:
Loss to Alexander Volkov – Decision (split), UFC 321 (October 25, 2025)
Win over Serghei Spivac – TKO (punches), UFC 311 (January 18, 2025)
Win over Alexander Romanov – Submission (rear-naked choke), UFC 302 (June 1, 2024)
Loss to Curtis Blaydes – KO (punches), UFC 299 (March 9, 2024)
Win over Derrick Lewis – Decision (unanimous), UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Lewis (November 4, 2023)
Last Five Fights – Sergei Pavlovich:
Win over Waldo Cortes-Acosta – Decision (unanimous), UFC Fight Night 257 (August 23, 2025)
Win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik – Decision (unanimous), UFC Fight Night 250 (February 1, 2025)
Loss to Alexander Volkov – Decision (unanimous), UFC on ABC 6 (June 22, 2024)
Loss to Tom Aspinall – KO (punches), UFC 295 (November 11, 2023)
Win over Curtis Blaydes – TKO (punches), UFC Fight Night 222 (April 22, 2023)
Jailton Almeida versus Sergei Pavlovich is the perfect next test, wrestling dominance versus KO power, for both men to stake their claim as the most dangerous non-champion in the heavyweight division.