Curtis Blaydes Takes on Jailton Almeida in São Paulo, Brazil

This fight takes place in the Heavyweight (265 lbs) division.

Curtis Blaydes holds a professional record of 17-4-1NC (12-4-1NC UFC) and is ranked #4 in the Heavyweight division. His notable wins include Alexander Volkov, Mark Hunt, and Alistair Overeem.

Jailton Almeida holds a professional record of 19-2 (5-0 UFC) and is ranked #9 in the Heavyweight division. His credible wins include Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Shamil Abdurakimov, and Anton Turkalj.

Official odds have yet to be released.

Curtis Blaydes is coming off a devastating first-round knockout loss against rising contender Sergei Pavolvich. Blaydes, favored with the wrestling in the matchup, could not secure a takedown and was caught by Pavlovich before eating a barrage of shots. Before his loss, he was riding a three-fight win streak, with wins against Tom Aspinall, Chris Daukaus, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. He's a decorated wrestler and a dangerous striker and will look to use all his tools to secure the victory in this matchup.

Curtis Blaydes in his last bout against Sergei Pavlovich. Credits to: Chris Unger - Zuffa LLC.

Jailton Almeida is tearing through the Heavyweights right now. His run started just a year ago, in 2022, when he secured three first-round finishes against Danilo Marques, Parker Porter, and Anton Turkalj. In 2023 he secured two more finishes against ranked contenders Shamil Abdurakhimov and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. No Heavyweight has been able to match his immense grappling prowess, but it'll surely be tested in this matchup. Almeida will be looking to use said grappling and his fast striking to secure this most significant career victory in this matchup.

Jailton Almeida dominating Jairzinho Rozenstruik on the ground in his first UFC main event. Credits to: Jim Dedmon - USA TODAY Sports.

This is an amazing matchup in the Heavyweight division, with the winner likely factoring into the title picture. As a member of the Verdict Community, let us know who you think will get the win in this matchup with a comment below.