5 fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Jailton Almeida vs. Derrick Lewis

The UFC visited Sao Paulo last night for its latest Fight Night, and overall, the event produced some decent action.

UFC Fight Night: Jailton Almeida vs. Derrick Lewis might’ve featured a number of late changes, but it should also set up some big fights for the future.

So with a number of options for the promotion’s matchmakers, what comes next for last night’s biggest stars?

Here are five fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Jailton Almeida vs. Derrick Lewis.

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#5. UFC middleweight bout: Rodolfo Vieira vs. Armen Petrosyan

Rodolfo Vieira's canceled fight with Armen Petrosyan ought to be re-booked [Image Credit: @rodolfovieira89 on Instagram]

Last night’s event saw a number of canceled bouts, but perhaps the most frustrating cancellation was the middleweight bout between Rodolfo Vieira and Armen Petrosyan.

This fight looked like one of the more intriguing ones on the card but was scrapped on the night itself due to Petrosyan becoming ill backstage.

With any luck, though, Petrosyan’s illness will turn out to be nothing serious, and the kickboxer will be able to return to action swiftly.

If that’s the case, the UFC should re-book his fight with ‘The Black Belt Hunter’. ‘Superman’ has won in four of his five visits to the octagon, but it’s fair to say that Vieira would’ve tested his grappling like never before.

Likewise, Petrosyan’s slick striking and cardio may well have been able to test Vieira, who we’ve seen fold in the face of adversity before.

Essentially, this was the perfect fight for both men and assuming they’re good to go soon, the promotion should just put the fight onto one of its upcoming Fight Night cards in the next few weeks.

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#4. UFC lightweight bout: Elves Brener vs. Drew Dober

Elves Brener scored an epic knockout last night [Image Credit: @elvesbrener on Instagram]

One of the biggest winners on last night’s card was lightweight prospect Elves Brener. The Brazilian needed just over four minutes to turn the lights out on late replacement Kaynan Kruschewsky in a catchweight fight and then called for a ranked foe next time out.

Brener isn’t a big name just yet, but despite only beating a late-notice opponent last night, he probably does warrant a crack at the elite level.

After all, his last fight saw him dispatch Guram Kutateladze in violent fashion, and while MMA math doesn’t always work, Kutateladze does hold a win over Mateusz Gamrot. That suggests that Brener may well be for real.

One opponent who would definitely test him, then, would be Drew Dober. The No.15 ranked lightweight is coming off a win over Ricky Glenn and is a handful for any opponent thanks to his brutally heavy hands.

More to the point, Dober is never in a dull fight, and based on what we’ve seen from Brener, neither is he – making this one an almost guaranteed banger. Basically, it makes too much sense not to book this fight.

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#3. UFC middleweight bout: Caio Borralho vs. Nassourdine Imavov

Caio Borralho has earned a shot at the top fifteen at 185lbs [Image Credit: @ufc on X]

One fighter who won last night and definitely deserves a crack at a ranked opponent is Caio Borralho. ‘The Natural’ looked good in his victory over Abus Magomedov, and is now unbeaten in the UFC at 5-0.

By all rights, he should probably have been fighting a ranked foe last night, but he’ll have to settle for doing it next time out.

The middleweight division has a number of viable opponents for Borralho, then, but one who could definitely work is No.12-ranked Nassourdine Imavov.

Imavov was scheduled to fight last month, only for Visa issues to rule him out of his bout with Ikram Aliskerov. That means he’s still healthy and could be good to go soon.

While he hasn’t won since September 2022, he’s still a highly dangerous opponent for anyone, and his slick striking and takedown defense could definitely test Borralho.

‘The Natural’ may have to wait until early 2024 for this fight, but it’s definitely one that makes sense.

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#2. UFC welterweight bout: Nicolas Dalby vs. Joaquin Buckley

Nicolas Dalby picked up one of the biggest wins of his career last night [Image Credit: @dalbymma on Instagram]

In a mild upset last night, welterweight veteran Nicolas Dalby produced a career-best performance to stop hot prospect Gabriel Bonfim in the second round.

The win was Dalby’s fourth in a row in the UFC, and while he’s probably too old to ascend into title contention at 38, he’s clearly capable of putting on fun fights.

Therefore, the promotion could be smart to match him with another fun fighter to watch in the form of Joaquin Buckley.

‘New Mansa’ is unbeaten since moving down to 170lbs earlier in 2023, and while he looks capable of climbing into the top fifteen, he probably needs at least one more fight before going after the elite.

An explosive striker, Buckley can be a handful for any opponent, but as we've seen on numerous occasions, he can be vulnerable and isn't all that durable.

With that considered, Dalby and his sharp striking could prove to be a tricky test for him, and what’s more, fireworks would likely ensue if the two men were to meet.

The matchmakers, then, would be smart to put this one together in early 2024.

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#1. UFC heavyweight bout: Jailton Almeida vs. Curtis Blaydes

Jailton Almeida isn't far off from a title shot at heavyweight [Image Credit: @ufc on X]

While he didn’t pick up the finish he was hoping for, it’s hard to say that Jailton Almeida wasn’t impressive against Derrick Lewis last night.

Never getting into any kind of trouble against ‘The Black Beast’, Almeida completely dominated the former heavyweight title challenger on the ground. In fact, ‘Malhadinho’ broke the UFC’s record for the most control time in heavyweight history, registering 21:10 of ground control.

The win moved Almeida to 6-0 in the octagon overall but was perhaps a little too underwhelming to net him a title shot.

Therefore, perhaps the best path for him would be to re-book his clash with Curtis Blaydes, which should’ve happened last night but ended up being canceled.

Blaydes would undoubtedly test Almeida’s wrestling like no other fighter in the division, and if he could get past ‘Razor’, then he’d have almost certainly earned a shot at the gold.

Therefore, if the promotion intends to visit Brazil in early 2024, it’d be the perfect time to put together this bout again.