Jailton Almeida is getting quickly back to action with his next fight set to be against Alexander Volkov at UFC 302 in Newark, New Jersey on June 1st.
The 32-year-old Almeida burst into the UFC’s heavyweight division via the Contender Series in a big way back in 2022, going on to win his first six fights in a row.
Along the way is level of competition steadily increased and culminated with a trio of wins over Shamil Abdruakhimov, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and then Derrick Lewis last year.
However, Almeida’s fast rise up the ranks was shut down in abrupt fashion earlier this month when he was KO’d by Curtis Blaydes at UFC 299, which has resulted in him sliding back to No.7 in the heavyweight rankings.
Not Almeida is set to return just three months after that knockout to fight the 35-year-old Volkov, who is currently riding a three-fight winning streak that’s taken him to the No.6 spot in the division.
All three of those wins came inside the distance, with Volkov having TKO’d both Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alexander Romanov in the first round and then submitted Tai Tuivasa with an ezekiel choke.
Almeida vs. Volkov joins a UFC 302 card that doesn’t yet have a main event, but will also features the likes of Roman Dolidze vs. Anthony Hernandez, Michelle Waterson-Gomes vs. Gillian Robertson and Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki.
