Insane statistic reveals striking similarity between UFC journeys of Khamzat Chimaev and Jailton Almeida

An insane statistic has revealed a striking similarity between the UFC journeys of surging phenoms Khamzat Chimaev and Jailton Almeida.

As per a tweet by ESPN MMA, Almeida absorbed just two significant strikes in his first four UFC fights. That's quite similar to Khamzat Chimaev, who absorbed only one significant strike in his first four UFC bouts.

In his first four UFC matchups, Khamzat Chimaev dominantly defeated John Phillips, Rhys McKee, Gerald Meerschaert, and Li Jingliang. In the aftermath of those victories, 'Borz' bested Gilbert Burns, Kevin Holland, and Kamaru Usman.

Chimaev secured one-sided victories over all his UFC opponents except Burns and Usman. His fights against the latter duo were back-and-forth wars that ended in razor-close decision wins for him.

Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is an undefeated Chechnya-born fighter who currently represents the U.A.E. He has competed in the welterweight and middleweight divisions in his MMA career, including regional promotions and the UFC. In his UFC run thus far, 'Borz' has fought at welterweight and middleweight, picking up spectacular victories in both weight classes.

On the other hand, Almeida (19-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has competed in the welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions in his MMA career. In the UFC, the Brazilian fighter has fought in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions.

After years of competing in smaller MMA organizations, Jailton Almeida entered the UFC realm by competing on Dana White's Contender Series in September 2021. 'Malhadinho' defeated Nasrudin Nasrudinov via second-round submission on the night, earning a contract.

Following that, Almeida made his UFC main roster debut, beating Danilo Marques via first-round TKO at UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland in February 2022.

The victory over Marques marked Almeida's first main roster UFC win. He followed that up by beating Parker Porter, Anton Turkalj, Shamil Abdurakhimov, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Presently, Jailton Almeida is scheduled to face Derrick Lewis in a highly-anticipated heavyweight bout that'll headline the UFC Sao Paulo event on November 4, 2023. Ahead of Almeida's return, the ESPN MMA Twitter (X) account has posted an interesting statistic, drawing parallels between his UFC career and that of Khamzat Chimaev.

---

What's next for Khamzat Chimaev and Jailton Almeida?

Khamzat Chimaev is fresh off a majority decision win against Kamaru Usman in October 2023. UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed that Chimaev's next fight will see him face middleweight champion Sean Strickland.

White further indicated that Khamzat Chimaev sustained a hand injury against Usman, adding that he hopes the injury doesn't sideline 'Borz' for long. The potential fight against Strickland would mark Chimaev's first UFC title shot.

Meanwhile, the No. 9-ranked UFC heavyweight Jailton Almeida is booked to fight the No.10-ranked Derrick Lewis this Saturday (November 4, 2023). Almeida was initially set to face the No. 5-ranked Curtis Blaydes.

However, Blaydes withdrew from their fight. Ergo, the UFC booked the Almeida-Lewis matchup. It's believed that should 'Malhadinho' emerge victorious this Saturday, he'd likely fight a higher-ranked opponent in the UFC's heavyweight top-10 next.