Jailton Almeida’s upcoming opponent, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, understands what his adversary is currently going through as he has been in a similar position before.
The Surinamese kickboxer made his UFC debut in February 2019, where he defeated Junior Albini via a second-round knockout. Rozenstruik’s next two fights were also quick KOs against Allen Crowder and Andrei Arlovski.
Which caught the attention of the heavyweight division. He then went on to his first main event fight against Alistair Overeem, where he narrowly won by a walk-off knockout in the final seconds, securing his undefeated 10-0 record.
Be sure to witness today's fight! Spectrum Center is sold out! đ„đ„ #BigiBoy #UFCCharlotte pic.twitter.com/brA7Ij8Wqx
— Jairzinho 'BIGI BOY' Rozenstruik (@JairRozenstruik) May 13, 2023
Filled with confidence and ready to enter the title contention, he was flying high until he faced Francis Ngannou, which marked the beginning of three years of struggles for the up-and-coming talent.
During that time, Jairzinho, now a Top 10 fighter, posted a 3-4 record while adjusting to life among the division’s best fighters. However, he ended last year on a high note, breaking a two-fight losing streak with a first-round knockout victory over Chris Daukaus.
"Itâs gonna be the first time you see him against a guy that can knock his head off."
Jairzinho Rozenstruik (@JairRozenstruik) plans to show Jailton Almeida true heavyweight power at #UFCCharlotte —ïž:https://t.co/9KaFpU1iSb
— UFC News (@UFCNews) May 13, 2023
âHeâs talented â he has what it takes to be a fighter, to be a champion,â he said in regards to Almeida, who has suggested heâll make quick work of Rozenstruik this weekend. âBut to be honest, itâs gonna be the first time you see him against a guy that can knock his head off.
âIâm gonna be in his face, punching his face, every time that I can, so itâs gonna be a different fight from the others.â
Jairzinho Rozenstruik is ready to finish his fight quickly
While Rozenstruik’s UFC record had been decent, with six stoppage wins and all of his losses coming against high-level fighters prior to his most recent bout, he had gone over a year without a victory.
Moreover, his last win over Augusto Sakai took nearly five full minutes to secure. As a result, the hard-hitting heavyweight was pleased to get back to finishing fights quickly, as he did with a first-round knockout in December.
When asked, he acknowledged that he had personal problems before the fight, but chose not to elaborate on them. He revealed that securing another quick victory helped to resolve these problems and put him back on the right track.
Jailton Almeida earned his spot in the main event after going undefeated in his first four UFC fights, with four finishes in a row. Like Rozenstruik before his fight with Ngannou, Almeida’s opponents weren’t as experienced or dangerous as his upcoming opponent, Overeem.
Let us know in the comment section below.
