Tag: Junior dos Santos

UFC 252 free fight: Jairzinho Rozenstruik starches Junior Albini in promotional debut

Relive Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s finish of Junior Albini as “Bigi Boy” made a big impression on his UFC debut.

[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] is not one to leave things in the hands of the judges.

Rozenstruik (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) made his promotional debut at UFC on ESPN+ 2 in February 2019 when he faced [autotag]Junior Albini[/autotag] in enemy territory.

Albini took the fight to the mat with an early takedown on the experienced kickboxer and was able to control Rozenstruik by advancing positions and attempting submissions, but Rozenstruik hung tough. Rozenstruik momentarily made his way back up, but was taken down once again.

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This time Albini took Rozenstruik’s back, but “Bigi Boy” defended well and eventually reversed position on the Brazilian before eventually bringing the fight back into his realm by getting back to his feet.

After Rozenstruik turned up the power in Round 2 and blasted Albini with a four-piece combination, finishing with a head kick, that sent Albini to the canvas for a spectacular win.

Rozenstruik went on to stop his next three opponents, including a comeback knockout of Alistair Overeem last December. But, in his last outing, Rozenstruik suffered his first career blemish in a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 249.

Rozenstruik returns on Aug. 15 when he meets former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) at UFC 252, which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

Before he faces Dos Santos, relive Rozenstruik’s finish of Albini in the video above.

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Video: UFC 252 ‘Countdown’ for Junior Dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik

Did you miss the debut of “UFC 252 Countdown” or just want to watch it again? Check out a preview of a key clash now.

Did you miss the debut of “UFC 252 Countdown” or just want to watch it again? Check out a preview of a key clash now.

The segment takes a special look at a featured heavyweight clash, with former UFC champion [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) taking on the hard-hitting veteran kickboxer [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in a bout that will have big implications on the division’s rankings.

UFC 252 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

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“Countdown” goes behind the scenes with the two fighters, and you can watch the full segment above. And don’t miss the entire episode in the video below.

Junior Dos Santos: Beating Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 252 big step toward another title shot

“This victory with another one or one or two more, I’ll be fighting for the title again.”

[autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] thinks it’ll only take a few more wins to get back into the title picture.

Dos Santos (21-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) faces [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] on Aug.15 at UFC 252, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Despite coming off two straight stoppage losses to Francis Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes, the former UFC heavyweight champion thinks a win over Rozenstruik (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) will put him in a strong position to vie for another crack at the title.

“I’ve been fighting for a long time already. I’ve fought all these guys. I’m ready to fight with all of them again,” Dos Santos told MMA Junkie. “I don’t really care who’s gonna be next. Of course the goal is the belt, and I don’t think it’s gonna take very much long for me to be fighting for the title. This victory with another one or one or two more, I’ll be fighting for the title again.”

Interestingly enough, Dos Santos and Rozenstruik both have been preparing at American Top Team, but that hasn’t affected Dos Santos at all. He even suggested that he and Rozenstruik spar with each other, which Rozenstruik turned down, and the two have pretty much gone their separate ways.

“He’s here. Sometimes I see him at the gym,” Dos Santos said. “I say hi, but it’s the first time I’m living something like that. It’s been interesting, and I don’t see that as a negative side actually. I don’t see his training, I never trained with him before.”

He continued, “We are kind of doing a separate work for each other, so sometimes we can see each other, but it doesn’t change anything.”

Dos Santos’ last win came in March 2019, when he picked up a second-round TKO over Derrick Lewis. Dos Santos has recently trimmed down, looking in remarkably lean shape, and is ready to make another run at the title with a finish of Rozenstruik.

“It couldn’t be different. I expect a knockout,” Dos Santos said. “Somebody’s going down with a knockout, and I really believe this guy will be him. I’m feeling great, and I feel in great shape, and I’m ready to go there and put things in the right place again.”

UFC free fight: Curtis Blaydes showcases punching power to finish Junior dos Santos

Ahead of his main event on Saturday, relive Curtis Blaydes’ finish over Junior dos Santos at UFC on ESPN+ 24.

[autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] has proved that he’s not just a wrestler.

Blaydes (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) faced former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Junior dos Santos[/autotag] in the main event of UFC on ESPN+ 24 in January, and showed the world that he had striking skills to back up his powerful wrestling credentials.

Blaydes came out looking to exert early pressure on the former champion, but was unable to take down dos Santos in his first two takedown attempts. He then switched to his kicks and connected with some powerful efforts, while dos Santos used his jab to keep Blaydes at bay as he prevented “Razor” from taking him to canvas.

In Round 2, Blaydes ramped up the aggression and countered a dos Santos uppercut with a cracking overhand right that left the Brazilian badly rocked. Blaydes then swarmed all over a wobbled dos Santos as he backed him up against the fence and unleashed a barrage of knees and punches until the referee stepped in to stop the fight.

Blaydes returns this Saturday in his second-straight main event when he faces Russia’s Alexander Volkov at UFC on ESPN 11.

Before he faces Volkov, relive Blaydes’ stoppage win over dos Santos in the video above.

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Junior Dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik added to UFC 252

A heavyweight bout between former champion Junior Dos Santos and Jairzinho Rozenstruik is the latest addition to UFC 252 in August.

A key heavyweight bout is the latest addition to UFC 252.

Former UFC champion [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] has been booked to take on top contender [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] at UFC 252 on Aug. 15. A location for the event has yet to be announced. The news was first reported by Combate and later confirmed by MMA Junkie.

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Dos Santos is coming off defeats to Francis Ngannou and, most recently, Curtis Blaydes. His most recent victory came in March 2019, when he picked up a TKO over Derrick Lewis. Dos Santos (21-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) is 3-2 in his most recent five UFC outings.

Rozenstruik (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) will also be looking to bounce back from defeat. Rozenstruik fought this past month at UFC 249 and suffered a knockout loss to Ngannou. It was his first defeat as a professional fighter. Prior to that, Rozenstruik was 4-0 in the UFC, including wins over Alistair Overeem and Andrei Arlovski.

UFC 252 is headlined by a trilogy heavyweight title bout between champion Stipe Miocic vs. ex-champ Daniel Cormier.

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205? Trimmed down Junior Dos Santos looking lean in new ketogenic diet

Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos shows off a new trimmed down version of himself.

Is [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] planning a move down to light heavyweight?

Former UFC heavyweight champion Dos Santos has apparently been on the keto diet, looking trimmer and slimmer than ever.

“I think this ketogenic diet is kinda working what do you guys think? Back to 238 lbs!”

After winning three in a row, Dos Santos has suffered back-to-back stoppage losses to Francis Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes. While he’s not currently booked for a fight, Dos Santos has expressed interest in competing on “Fight Island.”

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Fight Vault: Top 5 UFC debuts includes Justin Gaethje’s flippin’ awesome win

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom delves into the archives to present his top five UFC debuts of all time.

Welcome to Dan Tom’s “Fight Vault,” where MMA Junkie’s resident fight analyst delves into the archives to select his top five.

Today we look at the top five UFC debuts of all time.

The list includes classic first impressions inside the octagon from the likes of eventual champions [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] and [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag], as well as [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Lauzon[/autotag]. But whose UFC debut ranks No. 1?

Watch the countdown in the video above.

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You can check out “The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast” with Dan Tom for more on this top five and others.

Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Jan. 28: Michael Chiesa making welterweight moves

Now 3-0 in his new weight class, it seems Michael Chiesa is coming into his own at 170 pounds.

Now 3-0 in his new weight class, it seems [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] is coming into his own at 170 pounds.

Chiesa (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) picked up a win over former UFC champ [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] (29-13 MMA, 18-11 UFC) at this past weekend’s UFC on ESPN+ 24 event in North Carolina, marking his third consecutive victory since moving up to the welterweight division. The effort was rewarded in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, with “Maverick” debuting on the 170-pound list at No. 13, settling just ahead of dos Anjos, who entered the week as a top-10 fighter but drops now to No. 14.

That wasn’t the only action to come out of UFC Raleigh. Heavyweight [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) also moved up the list following his big win over former champ [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC), while [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (11-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) each earned spots as honorable mentions in their respective categories following their octagon victories, as well.

And, of course, one of the sport’s all-time greats, [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (22-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), was in action this past weekend, as well, claiming Bellator’s women’s featherweight title with a TKO victory over [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) at Bellator 238.

Check out all the movement in the latest update to our rankings.

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5 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN+ 24: What to think of Curtis Blaydes as a legit contender

Thoughts and analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC Raleigh, where Curtis Blaydes made a statement. But was it big enough?

What mattered most at UFC on ESPN+ 24 in Raleigh? Here are a few post-fight musings …

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1. Curtis Blaydes’ ‘Plan Z’ ain’t too shabby

It was no surprise that [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] was a winner over [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] in the main event. He was a roughly 3-to-1 betting favorite, but even his strongest supporters didn’t see it unfolding like that.

Not only did Blaydes stop Dos Santos with strikes, but he did so without getting a single takedown. All six of his attempts were denied, forcing him into what he labeled post-fight as “Plan Z.” He revealed he’s got some talent there, as well, landing solid shots before a massive one rocked Dos Santos and led to the second-round TKO.

Blaydes’ preferred method of victory still would’ve been to take down Dos Santos and batter him, he said, but that’s what was expected if the fight went his way. This performance was much more eye-opening, and it helps generate a better understanding of Blaydes as he continues to jockey for position in the heavyweight title picture.

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