John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration
While “Malhadinho” set a heavyweight record for total control time in a lopsided unanimous decision win against Derrick Lewis in the UFC Fight Night 231 headliner, his performance still left many observers wanting more after the Brazilian finished his first five Octagon opponents within two rounds. Still, Almeida has won six consecutive bouts within the Las Vegas-based promotion, and it’s understandable that he might have wanted to pursue a more risk-averse style against the UFC’s all-time knockout leader.
For the time being, Almeida holds serve at No. 8 in Sherdog’s heavyweight rankings, though his post-fight callout of Ciryl Gane could allow him an opportunity to climb higher should it come to fruition. Or, perhaps a rebooking with original UFC Sao Paulo foe Curtis Blaydes — a wrestler by trade — would force Almeida to showcase more of his skills.
Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.
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