Jailton Almeida's ACA debut: cut by the UFC, he walks into Evgeniy Goncharov in Russia

Seven months after the UFC released him, Jailton Almeida’s ACA debut comes on Saturday, September 12, in the main event of ACA 207 in Krasnodar. Waiting for him is Evgeniy Goncharov, a two-time former ACA heavyweight champion who has lost almost nothing in the promotion. No belt is on the line, but for Almeida the stakes are his whole career after the UFC.

Key takeaways

How Jailton Almeida ended up in ACA

From contender to released

Almeida arrived in the UFC as a grappling nightmare and spent his first years there as one of the most feared heavyweight prospects in the sport. The run stalled in March 2024, when Curtis Blaydes knocked him out at UFC 299. He answered with two finishes, a rear-naked choke on Alexander Romanov and a TKO of Serghei Spivac, and looked back on track.

Then came two fights that went the distance and went against him. Alexander Volkov beat him by split decision at UFC 321 in October 2025, and Rizvan Kuniev by unanimous decision on February 7, 2026. Four days later the UFC let him go. On February 21 he signed with ACA, the Russian promotion that has become the obvious destination for heavyweights leaving the UFC.

A debut with no easy start

ACA could have given its new signing a soft landing. It did the opposite and put him straight into the main event against the most accomplished heavyweight on its roster. For Almeida, that is both the risk and the opportunity: a win over Goncharov would say more about him than any comeback against a lesser name.

Evgeniy Goncharov, the ACA heavyweight standard

A two-time champion who wins on points

Goncharov (23-3) is the reference in the ACA heavyweight division. He became the promotion’s first heavyweight champion in August 2019, beating Tony Johnson Jr., lost the belt in February 2020 to Mukhamad Vakhaev, and won it back in March 2023 against Alikhan Vakhaev. He turned 40 in August and is still winning: his last three fights, including a decision over Khadis Ibragimov in June, all went his way.

His style explains the record. Thirteen of his 23 wins came by decision. He is heavy, patient and very hard to take down, which is exactly the problem for a fighter like Almeida, whose game starts with the takedown.

No title, but a verdict

The belt is not at stake: Alikhan Vakhaev holds it after beating Amir Aliakbari at ACA 206 in August. What is at stake is a ranking verdict. If Goncharov wins, he reminds everyone who still sets the level in ACA. If Almeida wins, the UFC’s former contender immediately becomes the name the promotion builds around.

I think the big Russian is going to traumatize Malhadinho, and he'll never want to fight in Russia again.
— Valter Walker, on Laerte Viana na Área

Valter Walker predicts a trap, and what to watch

The view from Goncharov’s gym

The sharpest preview came from a Brazilian. Valter Walker, the UFC heavyweight who trains with Goncharov at GOR MMA in Russia, told the Laerte Viana na Área channel that he believes a trap has been set for Almeida. He described how hard it is to take the Russian down in training, and questioned whether Almeida’s main weapon will work at all.

That is the key to the fight. If Almeida gets Goncharov down early and keeps him there, his top control and submissions are a real threat to a 40-year-old. If the takedowns fail, the fight becomes the long, heavy grind that Goncharov has won again and again.

The rest of the ACA 207 card

Eighteen bouts are scheduled at the Basket-Hall. The main card also features Khadis Ibragimov against Kirill Kornilov at heavyweight, Andrei Koshkin against Herdeson Batista, Alexey Polpudnikov against Mukhamed Kokov, and former Bellator champion Brent Primus against Vadim Ogar.

Follow the heavyweights with real numbers

Heavyweight records, results and the fighters who move between promotions are tracked in the FightHub app. Download it to follow Almeida’s new chapter and the rest of the ACA 207 results.