Derrick Lewis steps in on short notice to face Jailton Almeida

Jailton Almeida has been on a tear through the heavyweight division and looks to push closer toward a title shot next time out. The Brazil native was tasked with facing the tough Curtis Blaydes, but a new opponent now emerges following the fallout of that bout.

After getting back in the winners’ column with a lightning-quick knockout of Marcos Rogerio de Lima in his last outing, Derrick Lewis will now be looking to build on that momentum. ‘The Black Beast’ will step in on less than a month’s notice to fight a man considered to be a terrible stylistic matchup for himself.

As reported on social media earlier today, Curtis Blaydes has been forced out of his highly-anticipated clash against the rising South American prospect. A win over ‘Razor’ could have pushed Almeida into the top 5 at heavyweight, but he will now be challenged by the greatest knockout artist in the history of the UFC who is ranked below him.

🚨Curtis Blaydes is OUT of the #UFCSaoPaulo main event

NEW MAIN EVENT

Derrick Lewis vs Jailton Almeida
November 4 | 265 lbs | São Paulo 🇧🇷

via @AgFight pic.twitter.com/PLh4nI1rtr

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) October 9, 2023

The heavyweight collision will take place on November 4 and will serve as the headlining bout for the UFC Sao Paulo card—which is the promotion’s second visit to Brazil this year. The event will feature a handful of South American prospects all looking to make a name for themselves on home soil, with the Bonfim Brothers, Caio Borralho, and the aforementioned Jailton Almeida being the stars of the show.

Since calling heavyweight his new home, ‘Malhadinho’ has been an unstoppable force in the division. The surging contender collected first-round rear-naked choke submission victories over Parker Porter and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and a second-round ground-and-pound finish of Shamil Abdurakhimov.

Despite possessing obliterating knockout power, Derrick Lewis has had problems with grapple-heavy styles throughout his career. The 38-year-old saw his one and only undisputed UFC title shot come to an end on the ground and his most recent defeat came via submission.

A win for either man will be huge for their careers and would likely put them within touching distance of a shot at UFC gold. The late fight replacement isn’t ideal but Almeida will be looking to keep his undefeated record up inside the octagon as he ascends up the rankings.