It wasn't long ago when Jailton Almeida was ranked in the top five of the UFC heavyweight division. Now he's lost to a fighter most have probably never heard of, in a promotion they've never heard of, either.
Almeida (22-6) suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Evgeny Goncharov (23-3) at ACA 207 on Saturday in Krasnodar, Russia. It was his first bout since parting ways with the UFC in February following a highly criticized string of fights. The scores were 29-28, 29-28 and 29-28.
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It was a relatively slow-paced affair, with Almeida once again struggling to get the fight to the ground and create scenarios with damage or a fight-ending submission.
Goncharov proved prepared for the challenge, and it led to his eighth straight
win in MMA competition dating back to December 2020, and the most notable result of the 38-year-old's career.
The 35-year-old Almeida has now lost three-straight for the first time in his career, with the defeat to Goncharov added on to decision losses against Rizvan Kuniev and Alexander Volkov under the UFC banner.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jailton Almeida loses first post-UFC appearance in Russia
