Jairzinho Rozenstruik will almost certainly get a step up in competition after a big finish of Andrei Arlovski at UFC 244.
Former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski made his promotional debut at UFC 28, in an era when UFC events were comparatively few and far between. On Saturday night at UFC 244, he was in action again — part of the UFC’s 500th event, counting Fight Nights and the like. His opponent this time out, RIZIN heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
An early exchange put Rozenstruik’s power on display early, and moments later, the fight was over. That first attempt at trading had Arlovski’s back to the fence, Rozenstruik getting the better of the ex-champ, punctuating things with a leg kick. But a short left, while backing up as Arlovski charged forward, was all it took to send Arlovski crashing to the canvas.
🇸🇷 Suriname MMA on the rise @JairRozenstruik #UFC244 pic.twitter.com/f7dsAgVmuT
— UFC (@ufc) November 3, 2019
With the win, his biggest to date, Jairzinho Rozenstruik improved to a perfect 9-0 as a pro. He also announced his presence in a division always in need of fresh blood. There’s a feeling that Rozenstruik, with a solid background in kickboxing, could be another Lewis and Ngannou. A couple more performances like Saturday night, and that could very well prove to be the case.
“This is a moment. This is really a moment,” Rozenstruik said following the bout. “I see all these people he beat, when I was a little boy,” he continued, adding that now, he got to stand in the cage having defeated the former champ. Whatever comes next for the native of Suriname, it’ll be worth watching.
Official Result: Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Andrei Arlovski by knockout, Round 1, 0:29
