Fighters at UFC Sao Paulo were disappointed with Jailton Almeida‘s grappling-heavy win over Derrick Lewis, with comments suggesting they prefer knockout finishes in heavyweight fights.
In a dominating performance, Jailton Almeida emerged victorious over Derrick Lewis at UFC Sao Paulo, using his superior grappling skills to smother his opponent on the canvas. However, despite Almeida’s sixth consecutive win in the octagon, fellow UFC fighters were not particularly impressed with his performance. Many expressed their disinterest in watching heavyweights go to the scorecards, claiming that they expect knockout finishes in this division.
Corey ‘Overtime’ Anderson took to Twitter to share his opinion, suggesting that if Curtis Blaydes had been in the fight instead of Lewis, Almeida would have faced his first defeat. Anderson doubted that Almeida would have been able to take down Blaydes as easily. Similarly, Kenny Florian expressed his skepticism, implying that he did not believe the Almeida versus Lewis fight would go to a decision.
Meanwhile, other fighters like Terrance McKinney and Derek Brunson had more favorable views of Almeida’s performance. McKinney questioned whether Almeida had called out someone with no wrestling skills, while Brunson defended Almeida’s strategy of utilizing his grappling to slow down the high-powered offense of Lewis. Brunson drew a parallel to football, where fans cheer when a team runs the ball to slow down a passing offense.
In another main card fight, Gabriel Bonfim faced Nicolas Dalby, earning Dalby newfound respect from fighters like Roxanne Modafferi and Tatiana Suarez. Modafferi expressed her admiration for Dalby’s fighting style, while Suarez was impressed by the wild turn of events that led to Dalby’s victory in Brazil.
There were also comments about other fights on the main card. Jamahal Hill shared his thoughts on the Rodrigo Nascimento versus Don’Tale Mayes match, suggesting that Nascimento should keep his distance while Mayes should engage in dirty boxing. Hill also commented on the Caio Borralho versus Abusupiyan Magomedov fight, noting that Borralho’s change in strategy, circling the right way, led to his success.
Overall, while Almeida secured a dominant win, opinions among UFC fighters varied regarding his performance. Some believed his grappling-heavy approach was disappointing, while others appreciated his strategic game plan. The main card at UFC Sao Paulo provided a range of exciting matchups and unexpected outcomes, leaving fans and fighters intrigued throughout the event.