Derrick Lewis succumbs to Jailton Almeida's record-breaking control time; loses unanimous decision

A high-stakes heavyweight showdown, UFC Sao Paulo's main event saw Jailton Almeida go the distance and secure a unanimous decision win over Derrick Lewis.

The fight kicked off with Almedia quickly establishing octagon control. He landed a devastating blow to Lewis, setting the tone for the fight. The Brazilian took down Lewis with relative ease and started looking for submission opportunities.

Throughout the round, Jailton Almeida maintained his dominance, attempting various submission attempts and maintaining top control. Despite Derrick Lewis' attempts to escape, Almeida stayed in control, landing ground-and-pound.

The following round saw Almeida continue to press action. He quickly took Lewis down, assuming dominant positions and hunting for submissions. 'The Black Beast' showed resilience, managing to resist Almeida's choke attempts. Despite Lewis' efforts, the Brazilian maintained top control, and the round ended with him in a dominant position.

As the third round began, Derrick Lewis appeared more energized and threw a flurry of punches, briefly taking control of the fight. However, Jailton Almeida managed to regain his footing, executing a takedown and securing top position. Almeida's ground control played a crucial role in this round, as Lewis showed moments of strength but was unable to turn the tide.

The fourth and fifth rounds saw Almeida executing the same game plan to perfection. He relentlessly pursued top control, moving into mount positions and asserting his dominance.

In the end, the judges unanimously scored the fight in favor of Almeida, recognizing his ground control, submission attempts, and overall dominance throughout the four rounds. The judges scored the bout 50–44, 50–44, and 50–45, all in favor of Almeida.

Almeida's control and dominance were exemplified by the fact that he registered a remarkable 21 minutes and 10 seconds of control time, a new UFC record, as reported by @ESPNStatsInfo. This impressive feat surpasses the previous record set by Curtis Blaydes against Alexander Volkov in 2020, which stood at 19 minutes and 50 seconds.

The UFC heavyweight prospect has been on a tear ever since he secured the coveted UFC contract during his appearance on Dana White's Contender Series back in 2021. With this victory, Jailton Almeida extended his win streak to 6-0, establishing himself as a perennial threat in the talent-stacked heavyweight division.

Following the fight, Almeida seized the opportunity to call out former UFC interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane for a potential showdown.