Following two successful spectator-fueled outings—a pay-per-view
spectacle and the recently concluded event in Mexico City—the
Ultimate Fighting Championship heads back to the routine
setting of the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
UFC Fight Night 238 on Saturday features a stacked fight card
headlined by a fascinating heavyweight tilt.
The event sees several preliminary card pairings that have
explosive potential and “Fight of the Night” upside, while the main
card is flush with matchups no one afford to miss. The top billing
presents a clash between No.12-ranked heavyweight contender
Jairzinho Rozenstruik and undefeated upstart
Shamil
Gaziev looking to make a statement as they make the walk for
the first time in 2024.
Rozenstruik looks to kick off his 2024 campaign with the objective
of securing a highlight-reel finish or dominant performance. A
dynamic kickboxer who hits like a freight train, “Bigi Boy” has
secured exciting knockout wins against legends like
Junior dos
Santos,
Alistair
Overeem and
Andrei
Arlovski.
Rozenstruik now aims to hold the fort in the rankings by stopping
Gaziev in emphatic fashion. Ahead of his clash, we examine five of
the defining moments that have shaped his career to this point:
1. Planted in Combat
Rozenstruik grew up in Suriname, a small country on the
northeastern coast of South America, where soccer and basketball
were culturally embraced sports. “Bigi Boy” stood out because of
his size, which led a coach to recommend getting in some combat
training from a nearby kickboxing gym. A young Rozenstruik began
training in a gym called Rens Project and soon was discovered by
Michael Babb, a coach from the Vos Gym in Amsterdam. Under Babb’s
tutelage, he came out for the House of Legends molded under the
guidance of Ivan Hippolyte. Rozenstruik embarked on his sporting
journey with kickboxing. He competed in 85 bouts and prevailing in
76 of them, 64 by knockout.
2. Spectacular Rise in MMA
It is rare for fresh faces in the UFC heavyweight division to slip
under the radar, but Rozenstruik’s case is one of the rare
exceptions. He started his professional mixed martial arts journey
in May 2012, recording six straight victories, with five emphatic
finishes, before he signed with the UFC. However, his debut fight
against
Junior
Albini back in February 2019 went largely unnoticed since he
signed discreetly with the organization. Nevertheless, the low-key
debut belied the explosive talent that would send a ripple through
the MMA community. Following the debut, he racked up three more
explosive victories, cracking skulls, turning heads and drawing
crowds. While victories over
Allen
Crowder and the aforementioned Arlovski put the heavyweight
division on notice, it was his fifth-round knockout of a former
title challenger in Overeem that punctuated his veritable
talent.
3. Flipping the Script
In any combat sport, knockout stories unfold with the potential for
glory or downfall, with fighters emerging either as the victor or
the vanquished. Rozenstruik’s excellent run in 2019 propelled him
to within touching distance of a championship opportunity. However,
future UFC heavyweight champion
Francis
Ngannou had other plans. Ngannou sent Rozenstruik crashing to
the canvas twenty seconds into their matchup at
UFC
249. Having handed Rozenstruik the first defeat of his career,
Ngannou went on to challenge
Stipe
Miocic for the heavyweight throne in a rematch at
UFC
260. He won the fight by second-round knockout. With this loss,
Rozenstruik set foot on a rugged path, marked by several crests and
troughs.
4. Redemption Road
The true character of a fighter shines through when he bounces back
with strength after a loss. Following a devastating loss to
Ngannou, the 35-year-old Rozenstruik locked horns with a former UFC
heavyweight champion in dos Santos at
ufc
252. He responded in the best way possible, scoring a
second-round TKO victory, courtesy of a left hand to the jaw,
followed by a huge right, which dropped his opponent to the
mat.
5. Making Bank
Following the victory over dos Santos, Rozenstruik endured four
losses and emerged triumphant in two bouts in six Octagon outings.
While the dominance of “Bigi Boy” has certainly diminished in
stature, he has been able to record two “Performance of the
Night”-worthy finishes over
Augusto
Sakai and
Chris
Daukaus. At
UFC Fight Night 189, he won the fight against Sakai via TKO in
the closing seconds of the first round. The next victory against
Daukaus came merely 23 seconds into the first round. Vintage
Rozenstruik was on display in that fight, as the Surinamese
kickboxer connected with a left jab and followed up with a knee to
the face that dropped his opponent. Determined to finish his
adversary, Rozenstruik unleashed a barrage of strikes on Daukaus,
forcing the stoppage.