UFC Fight Night 231: Almeida vs. Lewis | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy

Dana Black
May 22
3 min read

Introduction

UFC Fight Night 231: Almeida vs. Lewis took place on November 4, 2023 at the Ginásio do Ibirapuera in São Paulo, Brazil — the UFC’s ninth visit to São Paulo and first since November 2019. The heavyweight main event featured No. 9-ranked Jailton Almeida, unbeaten in the UFC, against No. 10-ranked Derrick Lewis, who was originally scheduled to face Curtis Blaydes before Blaydes withdrew.

Almeida dominated from start to finish, earning a lopsided unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-45) with a UFC heavyweight single-fight record of 21 minutes and 10 seconds of control time. Lewis had no answer for Almeida’s relentless grappling. The return to Brazil was a massive success, with a capacity crowd of 10,792 creating an electric atmosphere from the opening bout.

Quick Stats

📅 Date: Saturday, November 4, 2023

📍 Venue: Ginásio do Ibirapuera, São Paulo, Brazil | Att: 10,792

✅ Result: Jailton Almeida def. Derrick Lewis via Unanimous Decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-45) (Round 5, 5:00)

Main Event: Almeida vs. Lewis

Almeida imposed his grappling will from the opening bell. He took Lewis down in every round and achieved full mount repeatedly, accumulating over 21 minutes of control time — a new UFC heavyweight single-fight record. Lewis showed remarkable toughness in surviving all five rounds but was completely neutralised on the ground.

The scorecards told a one-sided story: 50-44, 50-44, 50-45. Despite the dominant performance, some observers noted Almeida’s inability to finish Lewis from mount was a concern. For Lewis, the loss meant he had now lost five of his last six fights — a steep decline for the UFC’s all-time heavyweight knockout leader.

Co-Main & Undercard Highlights

Nicolas Dalby upset hometown favourite Gabriel Bonfim with a TKO (knees) at 4:33 of round two in the co-main event. Caio Borralho continued his rise with a UD over Abus Magomedov. Elves Brener earned a PoN with a first-round KO at 4:01. The capacity crowd created an incredible atmosphere throughout, making the UFC’s long-awaited return to Brazil one of the most entertaining cards of 2023.

Full Results

Jailton Almeida def. Derrick Lewis — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 5) | 50-44, 50-44, 50-45 | HW control time record (21:10)

Nicolas Dalby def. Gabriel Bonfim — TKO (Knees) R2, 4:33; Caio Borralho def. Abus Magomedov — UD R3; Rodrigo Nascimento def. Don’Tale Mayes — UD R3; Elves Brener — KO R1, 4:01 (PoN)

Bonuses & Awards

🏆 Performance of the Night: Elves Brener ($50,000) — KO R1 | Nicolas Dalby ($50,000) — TKO of Bonfim R2

Legacy & Impact

FN 231 marked the UFC’s triumphant return to Brazil after a four-year absence. The capacity crowd delivered an electric atmosphere, and the card was one of the most entertaining of the year. Almeida’s record-setting control time performance proved he was the real deal at heavyweight, though questions lingered about his finishing ability. For Lewis, the writing was on the wall — five losses in six fights signaled the end of his run as a top-tier heavyweight contender.