The first finish of the night at UFC 302 came courtesy of Jailton Almeida who made quick work of Alexandr Romanov.
“Malhadinho” bounced back in style from his tough loss to Curtis Blaydes at UFC 299 which ended his undefeated streak inside the Octagon.
Following prior complaints in some of his fights regarding not actively seeking a finish, Almeida didn’t take long before locking in the rear-naked choke after securing an early takedown.
After Romanov attempted to get back to his feet, the choke was locked in and the tap came soon after to break a run of decisions on the card.
Almeida said in his post-fight interview that he saw the scorecards roll in whilst backstage, and was looking to finish the fight as soon as possible.
During fight week, he stated that he received some great advice from Khabib Nurmagomedov to improve his game. MMA fans were quick to highlight that after he secured UFC 302’s first finish.
MMA Fans React To Jailton Almeida Breaking Decision Streak At UFC 302 With First-Round Sub
Due to the criticism that Almeida has faced in the past, particularly for his 25-minute domination over Derrick Lewis, MMA fans were stunned to see the first finish of the night come from the Brazilian.
The reactions poured in on social media, with some hoping that it would be the first of many finishes in Newark.
In his post-fight interview, Almeida called to face Ciryl Gane in a fight that would make a lot of sense for the headliner spot in Paris in September.
The irony of Almeida getting the first finish of the night is hilarious 😂😂😂 #UFC302
— BSC☘️ (@SportsclubBOS) June 2, 2024
https://twitter.com/mmaSharke/status/1797076122611425650
Thank God this fight didn’t get dragged to 3 rounds 💀 #UFC302
— 𝙴𝙶⚡️ (@PickedByDerwin) June 2, 2024
Great win for Almeida to get back in the win column, doesn’t do much for him but I think he deserves that Ciryl Gane main event fight! #UFC302
— Oliver (@_DaRealOliver_) June 2, 2024
Just don’t grapple this guy haha. Dominant grappling performance by Jailton Almeida #UFC302
— RMP (@iamrodrigowalls) June 2, 2024
Coach Khabib does it again with Jailton Almeida 🦅🔥 #UFC302 pic.twitter.com/qa5Lc8JOIr
— AWUREDO (@AOUREDOO) June 2, 2024
Great bounce back win for Jailton Almeida #UFC302
— Jaden (@JayLoJL) June 2, 2024
Can we talk about the fact Romanov grabbed the fence with both hands instead of fighting the hands of Almeida? #UFC302
— MMA Joey (@MMAJOEYC) June 2, 2024
great bounce back for almeida. proving he's still one of the best at heavyweight. #UFC302
— bbpoltergiest (@theglowptTwo) June 2, 2024
I’ll really be happy when jon jones fights so heavyweight contenders like jailton can get title shots #ufc302
— jade (@dovetoothbrush) June 2, 2024
Jailton Almeida will be a champion, there's no doubt about it.#UFC302
— Cam (@ProxyAnalytics) June 2, 2024
