Thomas Almeida

Thomas Almeida was, for a stretch, one of the most exciting young finishers in all of MMA. The Brazilian Muay Thai stylist arrived in the UFC unbeaten, dazzling fans with flashy combinations and spectacular knockouts, including a memorable flying-knee finish of veteran Brad Pickett that sent his prospect hype soaring.

His aggressive, finish-first approach made him appointment viewing, but it also left him vulnerable as the competition stiffened. His first loss came in a prospect clash with Cody Garbrandt, and subsequent defeats to ranked names like Rob Font and Jonathan Martinez stalled the rise that had once looked destined for a title run.

Almeida never reached the heights his early hype promised, but his peak years left a lasting impression. He is remembered as a thrilling, violent Muay Thai artist whose best performances were among the most entertaining the bantamweight division had to offer.