Tag: Jairzinho Rozenstruik

UFC on ESPN 7 matchmaker: Who’s next for Jairzinho Rozenstruik after win over Alistair Overeem?.mov

MMA junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for Jairzinho Rozenstruik in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”

MMA junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for Jairzinho Rozenstruik in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”

After impressive win, Jairzinho Rozenstruik says he’ll see Francis Ngannou soon

Jairzinho Rozenstruik wants to fight Francis Ngannou next in order to find out who is the scariest man in the UFC.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] picked up the biggest win of his career at UFC on ESPN 7 and he’s already got his sights set on a potential next opponent.

As the clock wound down in the fifth round of his main event bout against Alistair Overeem, Rozenstruik (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) landed a huge fight-ending punch. The blow sliced Overeem’s lip open in grotesque fashion.

“First, I got myself beat up and then I knocked him out,” the Surinamese heavyweight told MMA Junkie after the fight. “That’s part of the job. Put in work. He was fighting the fight. He’s so smart to do that. He did it for five rounds.”

Moments after the finishing punch landed, Rozenstruik began celebrating – even before referee Dan Miragliotta waived off the fight. Rozenstruik said he knew Overeem (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) was “really knocked out.”

“I saw he was really knocked out, so I walked away,” Rozenstruik said. “I can be going in like, ‘Boom, boom, boom.’ But I saw (I knocked him out) like right away.”

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While the outcome my seem improbable or surprising to outside observers, Rozenstruik doesn’t view it that way. “Bigi Boy” stated a “never give up” mentality has been instilled in him.

“Don’t give up,” Rozenstruik said. “You always have to go through. And that’s what you do in the gym. You don’t train two minutes, you train two hours sometimes. I showed that today. I showed my heart and I showed that I belonged in this division.”

In his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Jon Anik, Rozenstruik called out the man he’s been targeting for weeks, [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]. Why Ngannou (14-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC)? Rozenstruik indicated he wants to settle the debate on who the scarier fighter is.

“I like it,” Rozenstruik said. “If he accepts, then I’m excited about it. So I’m going to see him soon. I think it’s going to be a really good fight. He’s strong. He’s big. Even if you look at him, you’re like, ‘You’re big. You’re scary.’ But we have to do it. You know what I mean?”

UFC on ESPN 7 took place Saturday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The main card aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Check out Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s full post-fight media scrum in the video above.

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Francis Ngannou responds to Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s callout: ‘I heard you’

Francis Ngannou sure sounds open to obliging Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s request for a fight.

[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]’s callout didn’t fall on deaf ears.

The Surinamese fighter made waves in the UFC’s heavyweight division on Saturday night at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington D.C. Rozenstruik (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) viciously knocked out seasoned veteran Alistair Overeem (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) with just four seconds reaming on their main event bout. It was a gruesome scene.

After the fight, Rozenstruik took to the mic to send some words to top contender Francis Ngannou.

“I want to be back in April and I really want to fight this big scary guy [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag],” Rozenstruik said. “So if you hear this right now, I hope you accept this fight. Man, let’s give those people a great show.”

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It didn’t take long for Ngannou (14-3 MMA, 9-2 MMA) to hop on Twitter and respond to Rozenstruik:

“I heard you babayga. You made yourself very clear tonight. Congrats on your come back by the way. #uncrowndedchamp #UFCDC”

 

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UFC on ESPN 7 results: Jairzinho Rozenstruik scores late TKO; tears Alistair Overeem’s lip

It took Jairzinho Rozenstruik nearly 25 minutes at UFC DC, but he got the job done – and tore Alistair Overeem’s lip in the process.

It took [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] nearly 25 minutes, but he got the job done in his first UFC headline fight.

At the 4:56 mark of the fifth and final round of Saturday night’s UFC on ESPN 7 main event, Rozenstruik (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) punched his way to a TKO victory over veteran [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag], capping an incredible UFC debut year in which Rozenstruik went 4-0 with four finishes.

After minimal striking on the feet in the opening minutes of the first round, Overeem (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) dragged Rozenstruik to the ground. For the majority of the first, Overeem remained in side control.

Throughout the second and third rounds, Overeem’s game plan was apparent – stay on the outside and clinch when possible. On multiple occasions, Overeem landed a hard overhand left. But somehow, Rozenstruik ate Overeem’s hardest shots.

In the third, Overeem secured another takedown. With the clock winding down, Overeem was able to posture up and land his hardest ground-and-pound to that point in the fight.

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Rozenstruik’s best offense came in the fourth round. In two separate flurries, Rozenstruik landed a barrage of punches. The second flurry saw Rozenstruik attempt a flying kick and jumping knee. Overeem hung tough and returned to plodding point-fighting.

With the clock winding down in the final round, Rozenstruik ended the fight seemingly out of nowhere. With one big overhand right, Rozenstruik floored Overeem, tearing his lip in the process.

After the fight, Rozenstruik called out former UFC heavyweight title challenger Francis Ngannou, “If you hear this right now I hope you accept this fight,” Rozenstruik said. “Let’s give these people a real show.”

Rozenstruik has ended all 10 career fights inside the distance. For Overeem, the loss snaps a two-fight win streak. The Dutch heavyweight has a .500 record over the span of his most recent four fights.

The heavyweight fight was the UFC on ESPN 7 main event at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. It aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

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Twitter reacts to Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s buzzer-beater KO of Alistair Overeem at UFC on ESPN 7

See the top Twitter reactions to Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s win over Alistair Overeem in the UFC on ESPN 7 main event.

[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] earned his first UFC main event win on Saturday when he defeated [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 7.

Rozenstruik (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) kept his undefeated record in tact with a fifth-round knockout victory against Overeem (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) in the heavyweight headliner, which took place at Capital One Arena in Washington, and aired on ESPN.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Rozenstruik’s victory over Overeem at UFC on ESPN 7.

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UFC DC preview with Rashad Evans: Overeem-Rozenstruik, Calvillo’s weight miss, more

UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans previews the top storylines around UFC DC with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn.

WASHINGTON – UFC on ESPN 7 goes down Saturday, and the 13-fight card is filled with interesting fights and compelling storylines.

Much of the focus, of course, is on the main event between heavyweight contenders [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC) and [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), but the co-main event between [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] (13-0-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC) and [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is getting its fair share of attention, too.

UFC on ESN 7 takes place at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The card streams on ESPN+.

To give you insight into all the storylines around Overeem vs. Rozenstruik, Rodriguez vs. Calvillo and more, MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn and UFC Hall of Famer/ESPN analyst [autotag]Rashad Evans[/autotag] preview the event in the video above.

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UFC on ESPN 7 predictions: Overeem or Rozenstruik in heavyweight clash in D.C.?

Check out our staff’s picks for the UFC on ESPN 7 main card in Washington, D.C., featuring Alistair Overeem vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Overeem
vs.
Rozenstruik		 Calvillo
vs.
Rodriguez		 Rothwell
vs.
Struve		 Kunitskaya
vs.
Ladd		 Stamann
vs.
Yadong		 Font
vs.
Simon
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2019: 203-123 (62%)		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik
(56%)		 calvillo2019
Calvillo
(66%)		 rothwell2019
Rothwell
(53%)		 ladd2019
Ladd
(80%)		 yadong2019
Yadong
(64%)		 font2019
Font
(51%)
Simon Head
@simonhead
2019: 119-65 (65%)		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2019: 115-64 (64%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 stamann2019
Stamann		 font2019
Font
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2019: 209-117 (64%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2019: 207-119 (64%)
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 kunitskaya2019
Kunitskaya		 stamann2019
Stamann		 font2019
Font
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2019: 206-120 (63%)
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2019: 204-122 (63%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 stamann2019
Stamann		 font2019
Font
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2019: 203-123 (62%)
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 overeem2019
Overeem		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 simon2019
Simon
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2019: 203-123 (62%)		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2019: 200-126 (61%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 stamann2019
Stamann		 font2019
Font
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2019: 141-69 (60%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2019: 193-133 (59%)		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2019: 131-103 (56%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 stamann2019
Stamann		 font2019
Font
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2019: 172-154 (53%)		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 struve2019
Struve		 kunitskaya2019
Kunitskaya		 stamann2019
Stamann		 simon2019
Simon

The UFC is back in the nation’s capital city this week for the first time since 2011, and heavyweights top the bill.

UFC on ESPN 7 takes place Saturday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

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In the main event, [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC) takes on the unbeaten [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) at heavyweight. The fight is a virtual pick’em with the oddsmakers, and it’s close with our 13 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well. Overeem has the slightest possible edge at 7-6 in our picks.

In the co-main event, [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) badly missed weight for her women’s strawweight bout against [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] (12-0-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC), but the fight will go on. Rodriguez is a slight favorite at the sports books, and she has a slight edge at 7-6 in our picks.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] (36-12 MMA, 6-6 UFC) meets [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] (29-11 MMA, 13-9 UFC) in a battle of heavyweight veterans. Rothwell has a slight betting edge around -150, but he has a massive 12-1 lead in the picks with only one of our staff members taking the 7-foot Struve.

Another picks blowout belongs to [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in her women’s bantamweight fight against [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC). Ladd is a -160 favorite, but has an 11-2 lead in the picks.

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is more than a 2-1 favorite in his bantamweight fight against [autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), making him the heaviest favorite on the main card. But Yadong has just a 7-6 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is just a slight favorite against [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in their bantamweight fight. But Font pulled off a big 11-2 rout in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Rozenstruik (56%), Calvillo (66 percent), Rothwell (53 percent), Ladd (80 percent), Yadong (64 percent) and Font (51 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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6 burning questions heading into UFC on ESPN 7

The UFC hits our nation’s capital Saturday with a card that features several fights worth your time.

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After a two-week break, the UFC is back in business. And the company returns to action with a slate of fights worth checking out.

A heavyweight matchup between the ageless [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] and undefeated [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] headlines the final UFC on ESPN card of 2019. The main event is just one of a string of fights that might not have the star power of the month’s biggest event, UFC 245 with it’s three title fights Dec. 14, but nonetheless have meaningful consequences for the career trajectories of the participants and rankings implications for their respective weight classes. 

UFC on ESPN 7 takes place Saturday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Without further ado, then, here are six burning questions as the road winds toward Saturday night in our nation’s capital. 

Can Jairzinho Rozenstruik make the most of his big opportunity? 

We suspect this isn’t the way the undefeated Surinamese kickboxer wanted to get his first UFC main-event opportunity. Rozenstruik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC)
stepped up and accepted the bout with Overeem after Walt Harris had to drop out due to the disappearance of his stepdaughter, who was unfortunately found dead last week.

While everyone’s thoughts remain with the Harris family in its time of sorrow, the sport continues on, and Rozenstruik steps into his chance to make a statement that he’s truly arrived.

Rozenstruik has already demonstrated his veteran kickboxing skills have transferred over nicely from the ring to the cage, a point he’s hammered home each time out so far in the UFC octagon. Rozenstruik has won all three of his UFC fights via KO/TKO, with none of his fights lasting six minutes and his most recent triumph being a 29-second knockout of former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski in the intense spotlight of UFC 244.

That’s all well and good, but what happens if he fights someone with the ability to wait him out and drag him into deeper waters? Overeem (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC) has gotten clipped a few times, too, but he’s one of the game’s craftiest and adaptable fighters, a cerebral competitor who is not likely to be goaded into many mistakes. A victory over Arlovski is nice on a resume, but he’s a clearly diminished fighter. A win over Overeem, however, would be a statement Rozenstruik is ready for this, and ready to join the elite mix. 

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UFC on ESPN 7 breakdown: Overeem vs. Rozenstruik might as well be a coin flip

It’s that close, but MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom makes his pick for the UFC DC heavyweight headliner.

UFC on ESPN 7 takes place Saturday and features a heavyweight headliner that pits 52 fights of professional MMA experience vs. just nine.

In the main event, former Strikeforce, K-1 and DREAM champion [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag], whose career kicked off way back in 1999, takes on undefeated up-and-comer [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag], who debuted in the UFC earlier this year and looks to cap off 2019 with a fourth victory.

As mentioned, the pairing of Overeem (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC) and Rozenstruik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is a clash of fighters whose experience levels couldn’t be wider. However, the matchup remains tricky to pick.

For a closer look, watch MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom’s breakdown in the video above.

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UFC on ESPN 7 takes place at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., and airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

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Jairzinho Rozenstruik explains origin of ‘Bigi Boy’ nickname ahead of UFC on ESPN 7

UFC DC headliner Jairzinho Rozenstruik explains how he got the ‘Bigi Boy’ nickname ahead of his heavyweight clash against Alistair Overeem

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] knows his name is not easy to pronounce.

The Suriname fighter, who’s scheduled to headline Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 against Alistair Overeem, has had the inconvenience of people having a hard time with his name far before rising into contender status in the UFC’s heavyweight division. And that’s where his nickname “Bigi Boy” comes in.

“The nickname ‘Bigi Boy,’ I’ve got since I was a child, like when I was 9 or 11,” Rozenstruik said at a Thursday media day. “I was playing basketball and not everybody knew how to pronounce my name, so when I used to take a shot, they would say, ‘Hey, you. Make the ball, “Bigi Boy.”‘ And from that day, everybody started calling me ‘Bigi Boy,’ and still to this day.

“Everywhere I go, everyone is like, ‘How do you pronounce your name?’ So if you call me ‘Bigi Boy,’ that’s OK.”

People around Rozenstruik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) struggled with his name even at an early age. Rozenstruik’s name is actually Portuguese and not Dutch, which is the main language of his home country of Suriname.

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Rozenstruik will be looking to elevate his name (or nickname) on Saturday night, as he looks to remain unbeaten in MMA and get a win over one of the biggest names in heavyweight history.

“It’s a big chance, it’s a big opportunity,” Rozenstruik said. “Alistair is really famous. He’s a legend of the game. He’s been around forever. It’s a good chance, and I’m going to make it happen and make myself a legend, too.”

Overeem has been on Rozenstruik’s radar for quite some time, but he said that won’t affect him come fight night.

“No jitters,” Rozenstruik said. “I still like him as a fighter. He was doing his thing back in the day with Brock Lesnar and I was like, ‘Hey, that guy is really strong,’ me and my friends. And now I’m facing him in real life. So it’s crazy. But in the same way, it’s awesome – feels great.”

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