Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight contender, Jailton Almeida, has his sights set on a new opponent. He reckons his next bout should be against interim champ Tom Aspinall.
Aspinall recently knocked out Russian standout, Sergei Pavlovich, in a quick first-round win. This interim title booking happened at UFC 295 on Nov. 11. Just a week before that, Almeida had a decisive win over Derrick Lewis at UFC Fight Night 231.
After his victory over Lewis, Almeida called out former interim champ, Ciryl Gane. He’s still keen on a match with Gane. However, he’s heard Aspinall mention his name in an interview, so he’s thinking that fight might be up next.
Aspinall is known for his agility and speed in the Octagon. Almeida, however, believes he can match the interim champ in these areas. “A fight against Ciryl Gane would be ideal, but Tom Aspinall already spoke to the media and mentioned a fight with me,” Almeida said. “So, I think the Tom Aspinall fight will probably come first. It’ll be a good fight because Tom Aspinall is a complete fighter.”
Aspinall recently mentioned Almeida while brushing off a callout from Gane. He suggested Gane should fight the Brazilian fighter instead. Aspinall also called for Jon Jones to be stripped of the heavyweight title due to his indefinite absence due to a pectoral injury.
Almeida, like UFC CEO Dana White, disagreed with Aspinall’s demand for Jones to lose his title. “Jon Jones is still the best in the division. I believe Tom Aspinall could eventually get there, but for me, there’s no doubt that Jon Jones is still No. 1,” the 32-year-old said.
Since 2018, Almeida has remained undefeated. His fight against Lewis was his first decision in 14 outings. Aspinall’s UFC record is nearly flawless with seven stoppage wins. His only loss was against Curtis Blaydes, when an early knee injury cost him the fight.