Malhadinho celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC
Jailton Malhadinho has a date set for his first fight outside the UFC. After being defeated amidst boos at UFC Vegas 116 in February 2026, the Bahia native had a controversial exit from the organization and, shortly after, signed a contract with the Russian event ACA. His debut is scheduled for September 12th.
Malhadinho will headline ACA 207 against Russian Evgeny Gocharov. At 37 years old, his opponent has a record of 22 wins and three losses, with eight wins within the organization. The fight will be contested in the heavyweight category (up to 120,2 kg), despite the Brazilian having previously announced a move down to light heavyweight (up to 93 kg) before leaving the UFC.
Jailton Malhadinho was fired from the UFC.
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Despite posting positive numbers inside the octagon, Jailton Malhadinho fell short in terms of promotional impact in the UFC. With eight wins and three losses, the Brazilian received his first warning sign in the fight against Derrick Lewis , held in Brazil. On that occasion, he dominated his opponent, but delivered a fight with little action, which generated boos from the audience.
The second warning came in the split decision loss to Alexander Volkov at UFC 321. Even in a balanced fight, the Brazilian was once again criticized for his lack of aggression against the Russian.
The situation definitively worsened at UFC Vegas 113, when Malhadinho faced Risvan Kuniev and failed to impose his rhythm, suffering another defeat. The result was decisive in the organization's decision to terminate his contract.
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