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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC São Paulo
Get Ready For UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs Lewis By Taking A Closer Look At Every Fight On The Card
By E. Spencer Kyte, on X @spencerkyte
And then there were six…
With two months left in the year, the UFC enters November with six events remaining on the schedule, beginning with this week’s return to Sao Paulo for a card loaded with ascending talents from the host nation.
Headlined by an intriguing heavyweight matchup between surging Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) graduate Jailton Almeida and former title challenger Derrick Lewis, Saturday’s card could have the same energy as UFC 283 in January, as the passionate locals always get behind the legion of competitors from Brazil making the walk into the Octagon.
It should be an electric night of action at Ginasio do Ibirapuera from the opening contest through to the main event.
Here’s a detailed look at what is about to transpire.
Main Event: Jailton Almeida vs Derrick Lewis
Jailton Almeida and Derrick Lewis close out the show in a battle of Top 10 heavyweights at different stages of their careers that is sure to have an immediate impact on the shifting division.
Almeida has been lights out in the two years since earning his UFC contract with a second-round stoppage win over Nasurdin Nasurdinov. He’s earned five straight victories, eventually working his way to heavyweight and posting consecutive dominant finishes over Shamil Abdurakhimov and Jairzinho Rosenstruick.
The 38-year-old Lewis entered his last outing on a three-fight slide and having dropped four of his last five, but “The Black Beast” bounced back as only he can with a 33-second TKO victory over Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC 291. The owner of the most knockouts in UFC history, Lewis remains a perpetually dangerous fixture in the heavyweight ranks who can end a fight with a single shot at any time.
Saturday’s main event is the most dangerous fight of Almeida’s UFC run to date, while also still presenting the ascending Brazilian with a potential clear path to victory. He’s a dynamic grappler with excellent finishing instincts but has never stood across from someone packing the power Lewis brings to the Octagon. Naturally, that means the inverse applies for Lewis, as he’ll need to do his best to keep this fight standing and Almeida at range in order to find a home for the dynamite-packed lunchboxes he totes around on the end of his arms.
No matter how this plays out, it should be an exciting and high impact contest that has an immediate impact on the divisional standings.
Other Main Card Fights
Gabriel Bonfim vs Nicolas Dalby
It’s another “emerging talent versus divisional stalwart” pairing in the co-main event, as unbeaten Brazilian Gabriel Bonfim faces off with Danish veteran Nicolas Dalby.
Bonfim has posted consecutive first-round submission wins to kick off his UFC career, tapping out Mounir Lazzez and Trevin Giles. The 26-year-old has scored 15 consecutive victories, with all of them coming inside the distance, and now he takes a considerable step up in competition to test himself against “Danish Dynamite” in the penultimate bout of the evening.
Dalby has collected three straight victories and wins in five of his seven appearances since returning to the promotion. Brandishing a 22-4-1 record with two no contests, the 38-year-old remains a cardio monster with a sharp, well-rounded game, and the kind of experience that makes him a major challenge for an up-and-comer like Bonfim.
Two of October’s three events wrapped with veterans earning victories over younger, ranked fighters, with Bobby Green stopping Grant Dawson and Edson Barboza surviving a gruesome first round to score a decision victory over Sodiq Yusuff. This weekend, Bonfim will look to win one for the younger set, while Dalby aims to keep the wins piling up for the elder statesmen.
Rodrigo Nascimento vs Don’Tale Mayes
The first of the main card’s two heavyweight contests pits Rodrigo Nascimento against fellow DWCS graduate Don’Tale Mayes for the second time.
Nascimento, who turns 31 later in the month, enters on a two-fight winning streak and is undefeated in his last three, most recently landing on the happy side of a split decision verdict in a bout with Ilir Latifi in May. Sporting a 10-1 record with one no contest, “Ze Colmeia” has earned eight finishes, including stopping Mayes in their first encounter.
Since dropping his first two outings to Ciryl Gane and Nascimento, “Lord Kong” has posted three wins, one loss, and one no contest, venturing to Sao Paulo following a second-round stoppage win over Andrei Arlovski in June. The 31-year-old has a ton of natural power and raw athleticism and showed signs of putting it all together in his last outing, so it will be interesting to see if he can carry that over into Saturday’s rematch.
These two were UFC neophytes when they first squared off — Mayes was in his second appearance, Nascimento was making his debut — but each has shown growth and improvements since then. Like all of the Brazilians on the card, it’ll be curious to see how fighting at home impacts Nascimento, and if Mayes will be able to tune out the raucous, partisan crowd and earn a second straight win.
Caio Borralho vs Abus Magomedov
Caio Borralho and Abus Magomedov face off in a clash of middleweights coming in off very different results last time out.
One of several members of the DWCS Class of 2022 enjoying uninterrupted success in the Octagon thus far, Borralho has extended his overall winning streak to 13 with four consecutive UFC victories. Last time out, “The Natural” turned in his most impressive performance to date, registering a second-round submission win over Polish striker Michal Oleksiejczuk.
After needing just 17 seconds to earn a victory in his promotional debut, Magmomedov landed a main event opportunity in his sophomore outing, starting well, but fading fast in a clash with current champ Sean Strickland. The 33-year-old is 25-5-1 overall in his career and will be looking to halt Borralho’s ascent while getting himself back on track this weekend.
So far, Borralho has cruised to his four victories inside the Octagon, and Saturday’s pairing with Magomedov appears, on paper, to be his toughest thus far. This is one of those contests that has the potential to illuminate where he currently stands in his development, while also offering another chance to ascertain where Magomedov fits in the 185-pound mix, as well.
Rodolfo Vieira vs Armen Petrosyan
It's another middleweight pairing here as submission ace Rodolfo Vieira steps in with Muay Thai stylist Armen Petrosyan on Saturday’s main card.
A multiple-time champion in Brazilian jiu jitsu, Vieira has gone 4-2 through his first UFC appearances to push his record to 9-2 overall. The 34-year-old has earned finishes in all of his victories, most recently submitting Cody Brundage by arm-triangle choke at the end of April.
Petrosyan graduated to the UFC in the DWCS Class of ’21 and has gone 3-1 since, with his lone setback coming against Borralho. Last time out, he collected a second straight victory by out-working promising British prospect Christian Leroy Duncan from start-to-finish in June.
More than usual, the outcome of this one feels like it hinges on where the majority of the fight plays out. Will Vieira be able to turn this into a grappling match or will we see another quality striking performance from Petrosyan?
Ismael Bonfim vs Vinc Pichel
The main card kicks off in the lightweight division, as Ismael Bonfim and Vinc Pichel hook up for what promises to be an entertaining clash in the 155-pound weight class.
The elder Bonfim looks to get things moving in the right direction again after landing on the wrong side of a first-round finish against Benoit Saint-Denis last time out. He impressed in his promotional debut in Rio, collecting a second-round finish of Terrance McKinney, and sports a 19-4 mark overall heading into his third appearance of the year.
Pichel, who turns 41 later in the month, returns for the first time since suffering a unanimous decision loss to Mark O. Madsen in April 2022. Health has always been an issue for “From Hell,” who owns a 7-3 record in a UFC career that began in 2012 following his appearance on the 15th season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Bonfim earned a victory when fighting alongside his younger brother at UFC 283, then lost when they were separated in the summer. Pichel is a hard-nosed, battle-tested veteran, so expect a gritty contest between these two for as long as it lasts.
Preliminary Card Fights
Elves Brener vs Kaynan Kruschewsky
Impressive lightweights close out the prelims as Elves Brener shares the Octagon with newcomer Kaynan Kruschewsky.
Brener registered one of the bigger comebacks and upsets of the year last time out, extending his overall winning streak to four with a come-from-behind finish of Guram Kutateladze in July. Kruschewsky punched his ticket to the Octagon with a first-round submission win over Dylan Mantello on Season 7 of the Contender Series, extending his winning streak to four and unbeaten streak to seven in the process.
Originally scheduled to be a pairing between Brener and DWCS Season 6 grad Esteban Ribovics, the final prelim is now an all-Brazilian affair.
Victor Hugo vs Daniel Marcos
Victor Hugo makes a quick turnaround after earning his UFC contract at the start of October, stepping in on short notice to face off with unbeaten Peruvian Danial Marcos.
The 30-year-old Hugo pushed his winning streak to 13 with a second-round submission win to land himself a place in the bantamweight ranks, running his record to 24-4 overall in the process. Marcos kept his unblemished record intact with a split decision victory over durable British veteran Davey Grant in July.
Rinat Fakhretdinov vs Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos and Rinat Fakhretdinov square off in an outstanding matchup between talented welterweights on Saturday’s prelims.
The 36-year-old dos Santos is the lone holdover from the UFC’s last appearance in Sao Paulo, returning after picking up a split decision win over Abubakar Nurmagomedov in June following 18 months on the sidelines. Fakretdinov has earned victories in each of his first three UFC appearances, most recently collecting a 55-second submission finish over Kevin Lee at the start of July.
Vitor Petrino vs Modestas Bukauskas
It’s a clash of light heavyweights under the age of 30 as Vitor Petrino faces off with former Cage Warriors champ Modestas Bukauskas.
The 26-year-old Petrino extended his record to 9-0 with a workmanlike third-round submission win over Marcin Prachnio at UFC 290. Bukauskas has earned back-to-back unanimous decision wins since returning to the promotion, sending the 29-year-old into this one on a four-fight winning streak.
Angela Hill vs Denise Gomes
The first of two key “prospect versus veteran” pairings takes place in the strawweight division, where Top 15 stalwart Angela Hill faces off with surging finisher Denise Gomes.
Making her 24th UFC appearance, Hill looks to get back into the win column after dropping a unanimous decision to Mackenzie Dern in their main event, Fight of the Night-winning clash in May. The 23-year-old Gomes enters off consecutive stoppage victories, having followed up her second-round win over Bruna Brasil with a 20-second finish of Yazmin Jauregui at UFC 290.
Eduarda Moura vs Montserrat Conejo Ruiz
Unbeaten strawweight newcomer Eduarda Moura makes her promotional debut on Saturday, facing off with Mexican grappler Montserrat Conejo Ruiz.
Competing alongside her teammate, headliner Jailton Almeida, Moura looks to follow her standout DWCS effort in August with a fifth straight stoppage victory on Saturday. Standing in her way will be Ruiz, who has dropped back-to-back contests since registering a unanimous decision win over Cheyanne Vlismas in her first foray into the UFC cage.
Kaue Fernandes vs Marc Diakiese
Saturday’s action opens in the lightweight division, as debuting Brazilian Kaue Fernandes faces off with British veteran Marc Diakiese.
A Nova Uniao product with an 8-1 record, Fernandes has earned his last two wins in just over two minutes combined, showcasing his striking prowess in the process. Diakiese arrives on a two-fight slide, having suffered a controversial submission loss to Joel Alvarez last time out in London.
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