Report – Derrick Lewis replaces Curtis Blaydes at UFC Sao Paulo, fights Jailton Almeida in November headliner
Former interim and undisputed heavyweight title challenger, Derrick Lewis is in line for a return to main event honors at UFC Fight Night Sao Paulo in Brazil on November 4. – as he replaces perennial contender, Curtis Blaydes, in a clash with Dana White’s Contender Series alum, Jailton Almeida.
Lewis, who penned a new multi-fight deal with the UFC following the culmination of his last outing, most recently landed a stunning first round flying knee and ground strikes TKO win over Almeida’s Brazilian compatriot, Marcos Rogerio de Lima back in July on the main card of UFC 291.
Derrick Lewis set to fight Jailton Almeida in UFC Fight Night Sao Paulo headliner
As per an initial report from AgFight, Eliot Marshall trainee, Blaydes will no longer face off with surging Brazilian contender, Almeida at UFC Fight Night Sao Paulo at the beginning of next month, with former championship challenger, Derrick Lewis now facing the former on short-notice in a reworked main event clash in Brazil.
For Almeida, the streaking number nine ranked heavyweight contender has been sidelined since he landed a one-sided first round rear-naked choke win in the main event of UFC Fight Night Charlotte in May, submitting Jairzinho Rozenstruik to secure his fifth consecutive Octagon win.
A product of the Contender Series back in September 2021, Almedia, who boasts an impressive 19-2 professional record, holds an eye-catching 12 separate submission victories to go with even further stoppages via knockout.
Prior to his win over de Lima, Lewis had suffered a slew of consecutive stoppage defeats, three on the trot, in fact, in the form of losses to Tai Tuivasa, Sergei Pavlovich, and Sergey Spivak.
The most prolific knockout artist in the history of the heavyweight division and the entire UFC to boot, Lewis holds notable triumphs via knockout over the likes of Gabriel Gonzaga, Travis Browne, Marcin Tybura, Alexander Volkov, Aleksei Olienik, and Curtis Blaydes to name a few.
