UFC heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida took his first loss in years, but all for a good cause.
Saturday night in Salvador, Brazil, the rising UFC contender entered the Demo Fight cage to meet Alvaro Borges, an athlete with Down syndrome, in a MMA exhibition match. Almeida told MMA Fighting prior to the match that he was very happy to “help Alvaro’s dream come true.”
Borges grappled with “Malhadinho” and even tried some spinning kicks, and eventually got the tap with an armbar in the second round.
Watch the contest below.
Demo Fight founder Demistocles Brito told MMA Fighting that his decision to book special matches on almost every card comes from his love for an autistic nephew, saying that “Demo Fight’s goal is to not only reveal new talents, but also promote inclusion.”
Almeida’s next official fight takes place March 9 in Miami, at UFC 299, where he takes on Curtis Blaydes. The Brazilian is coming on a perfect 6-0 octagon run with five finishes, while Blaydes attempts to rebound from a knockout defeat to Sergei Pavlovich.