Jailton Almeida joined Russian promotion ACA's heavyweight division a week after UFC release, announced February 21, passing on offers from PFL, RIZ, K, Oktagon, and a one-fight deal vs. Junior dos Santos on the Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano Netflix card May 16. Almeida, 22-5 with eight UFC wins, eyes light heavyweight return after losses to Alexander Volkov and Rizvan Kuniev. He signed a four-fight ACA deal honoring his commitment. This move bolsters ACA while Almeida rebuilds outside UFC. No debut fight scheduled yet.
Jailton "Malhadinho" Almeida has signed a four-fight deal with Russian promotion ACA, the organization announced on February 21, just one week after the Brazilian heavyweight's release from the UFC.
Almeida, 35, enters ACA carrying a 22-5 record and eight wins accumulated during his UFC tenure. Standing six-foot-three with a 79-inch reach, the Galpao da Luta product was one of the more statistically dominant grapplers in the UFC heavyweight division before his exit, averaging 5.64 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes. His striking output, while not his primary weapon, came at a 62 percent accuracy rate — an unusually high figure at the sport's elite level.
The signing comes after consecutive losses to Alexander Volkov and Rizvan Kuniev, results that ultimately led to his UFC departure. According to the announcement, Almeida turned down competing offers from PFL, RIZIN, Karate Combat, and Oktagon, as well as a single-fight opportunity against Junior dos Santos on a Ronda Rousey versus Gina Carano Netflix card scheduled for May 16. He chose instead to honor his commitment to ACA with a multi-fight agreement. Almeida has also indicated interest in competing at light heavyweight as he looks to rebuild his career outside the UFC.
No debut opponent or date inside ACA has been announced at this stage.
Why it matters
- Almeida's arrival gives ACA significant credibility at heavyweight, adding a ranked UFC veteran to its roster
- His stated interest in light heavyweight creates potential matchup flexibility for the promotion
- The signing signals growing competition among promotions for UFC-released talent, with multiple organizations having pursued Almeida before ACA secured the deal
- At 35, Almeida's trajectory over the four contracted fights will be closely watched as a barometer for post-UFC rebuilds at the highest level
