TLDR
- Jailton Almeida has been released from the UFC following a unanimous decision loss to Rizvan Kuniev at UFC Vegas 113
- The 34-year-old Brazilian suffered back-to-back defeats after also losing to Alexander Volkov in his previous fight
- Almeida leaves the UFC with an 8-3 record and 87% finishing rate, having stopped fighters like Derrick Lewis and Jairzinho Rozenstruik
- His last two performances were criticized as lackluster, with failed takedowns against Kuniev and minimal striking against Volkov
- Almeida was still ranked No. 8 at heavyweight at the time of his release and had expressed interest in returning to light heavyweight
Sources: MMA Fighting | MMA Mania | Yahoo Sports
Jailton Almeida is no longer under contract with the UFC after suffering his second consecutive loss at UFC Vegas 113. The 34-year-old Brazilian heavyweight was released by the promotion following a unanimous decision defeat to Rizvan Kuniev on February 8, 2026.
MMA Fighting confirmed the news after an initial report from Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana. The UFC has already informed Almeida of their decision to part ways.
Almeida took the fight against Kuniev on short notice, stepping in as a replacement for Ryan Spann just three weeks before the event. He told Ag.Fight that accepting the fight was part of a new contract deal with the UFC.
“When the UFC offered the fight three weeks ago, with the option to renew the contract, I talked to my manager and we decided to accept this first fight of the new contract,” Almeida said before the bout.
Jailton Almeida no longer with UFC! Big shakeup in the heavyweight division. 🤔
📸 via @MMAFightingpic.twitter.com/9wXt7gpW9t
— Wire Report MMA (@WireReportMMA) February 12, 2026
Recent Struggles Inside the Octagon
The loss to Kuniev marked Almeida’s second straight defeat after dropping a split decision to Alexander Volkov at a UFC pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi. Both performances drew criticism for their lackluster nature.
Against Kuniev, Almeida failed on all eight of his takedown attempts. He appeared hesitant to engage in striking exchanges throughout the fight.
In the Volkov fight, Almeida managed to land seven takedowns and controlled his opponent for more than 10 minutes. However, he landed just nine punches and kicks during the entire bout.
UFC CEO Dana White expressed his satisfaction with the judges’ decision to award Volkov the victory. “You can’t win a fight by just laying on top of somebody,” White said at the UFC 321 post-fight press conference. “That’s not how it works. I was actually very happy with the way judges scored that fight.”
Strong Record Not Enough to Save Contract
Despite the release, Almeida leaves the UFC with an 8-3 record. He finished seven of his eight victories, earning an 87 percent finishing rate during his time with the promotion.
Almeida was still ranked No. 8 in the UFC’s official heavyweight rankings days after his loss at UFC Vegas 113. His wins included stoppages over well-known fighters like Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Derrick Lewis, Shamil Abdurakhimov, Alexandr Romanov, and Serghei Spivac.
The Brazilian earned his UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2021. He won that fight at light heavyweight and made his official UFC debut at 205 pounds in February 2022, finishing Danilo Marques in the first round.
After one catchweight victory at 220 pounds, Almeida moved up to the heavyweight division in 2023. He compiled a 5-3 record at heavyweight over the past two years.
Almeida recently told the UFC he wanted to return to the light heavyweight division. He had not yet begun the weight cut when the promotion decided to release him.
Lackluster performances in three of his last five fights played a major role in the UFC’s decision. His only bright spot during that stretch was a main event victory over Derrick Lewis in Brazil.
It remains unclear whether Almeida will still cut down to 205 pounds to compete for another promotion.
