Inglewood – UFC heavyweight Jailton Almeida has his sights set on a matchup with a former title challenger following his victory over Serghei Spivac at UFC 311 on Saturday night.
‘Bon Gamin’ has a target on his back.
“This is a guy that I’ve called (out) a couple times. A guy who’s always been on top of the rankings. Been out there with the interim title,” Almeida told reporters including Cageside Press through a translator at his post-fight press conference.
“I’ve called out like three times. It’s time to fight. I don’t know what I have to do. Maybe ask the UFC, ‘Can you get a ticket for me to go after him out in France?'”
Almeida (22-3) has indeed been beating the drum asking for a matchup with Ciryl Gane. Adding Gane to his resume would help his case for a title shot sooner than later. Gane is coming off a very controversial split decision victory over Alexander Volkov that many believe he didn’t earn.
“I think I’m not in the minority here. I think 99% of the population of this world thinks the same thing (that he lost) so I’m not alone,” he said.
Regardless of what Gane is up to these days the entire heavyweight world is waiting on two men to settle the championship picture. UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is expected to fight interim champ Tom Aspinall at some point in 2025 at last according to UFC CEO Dana White.
Almeida and the rest of the division waits patiently. Sort of.
“This whole Aspinall-Jones thing we hope it’s going to happen. We hope the UFC is going to put that together. Ciryl Gane is the only guy, the only name, that I’ve been calling,” he said.
“This is the third time. I don’t care where it is. I don’t care where it happens. In Brazil, In France, whatever, I’ll go to him. Let’s make it happen.”
Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Jailton Almeida above.
