Jailton Almeida responds to criticism over his “cautious” performance against Derrick Lewis at UFC São Paulo

UFC heavyweight Jailton Almeida has responded to criticism over his performance against Derrick Lewis at UFC Sao Paulo.

Last weekend, Jailton Almeida dominated Derrick Lewis in their heavyweight main event and secured a blockbuster decision victory. In doing so, he firmly established himself as one of the top contenders in the world in that division.

RELATED: PROS REACT AFTER JAILTON ALMEIDA DEFEATS DERRICK LEWIS AT UFC SAO PAULO

With that being said, there are still plenty of questions that need to be answered when it comes to his style. It’s not an overstatement to say that there’s been a lot of criticism of the Brazilian as a result of the nature of his win, with many calling it boring.

In the post-fight press conference, Almeida made sure to address these comments.

Almeida’s assessment

“It was a tough fight,” Almeida said via translator on the UFC Sao Paulo post-fight show. “I was surprised that he never backed down. Derrick fought all the way. Although he fought last minute, he really put on a good fight. But I managed to fight a good fight.

“I was happy with my performance, even though I didn’t knock him out, I’m ready for any fights. I’m ready to fight five rounds for any opponent.”

“The strategy was to control him on grappling,” he said. “But he’s very strong, and his hand is twice as big as mine. My forearm is quite thin, and he was able to grab ahold my forearm and really control the blows that I was trying to give out.”

“I was surprised by my strength,” Almeida said. “Although Derrick Lewis was much heavier than me, I was able to throw him down and control. So I’m very happy with that.”

Quotes via MMA Fighting

What did you make of Almeida’s performance? Let us know, BJPENN Nation!