What’s next for Jailton Almeida and Derrick Lewis after UFC Sao Paulo?

In the main event of UFC Sao Paulo, top-10 heavyweights collided as Jailton Almeida took on Derrick Lewis who accepted the fight on short notice.

Almeida entered the fight coming off a first-round stoppage over Jairzinho Rozenstruik back in May in his first UFC headlining spot. He was a perfect 5-0 in the UFC coming into his second headling spot at UFC Sao Paulo. Lewis, meanwhile, had snapped his three-fight losing streak back in July with a first-round KO over Marcos Rogerio de Lima.

Ultimately, it was Jailton Almeida who won a one-sided decision in a fight the Brazilian had over 21 minutes of control time. Now, following UFC Sao Paulo, here is what I think should be next for both men involved in the main event.

Jailton Almeida

Jailton Almeida dominated Derrick Lewis for all five rounds, but some people were still disappointed in the performance that he wasn’t able to finish the American. Almeida took Lewis down with ease but didn’t do much when he got on top and did appear to slow down quite a bit in the later rounds.

Although Almeida got the win, it’s unlikely he will get the Ciryl Gane fight he called for after the win. Instead, rebooking him against Curtis Blaydes makes sense. Blaydes is ranked ahead of Almeida and would pose some challenges for the Brazilian with his wrestling and takedown defense.

Derrick Lewis

Derrick Lewis is now 1-4 in his last five fights and likely is no longer a title contender at heavyweight.

Although Lewis won’t be a title contender following UFC Sao Paulo, he still is a fan favorite and should be in fun striking fights from here on out. The most logical fight is to rematch Tai Tuivasa as both men have struggled as of late. Since Tuivasa knocked Lewis out, he’s lost three straight fights, so it’s an opportunity for the Aussie to return to the win column.

Regardless of the outcome, it would be a fun fight on paper and one many fans would want to see again.