Ranked heavyweights are set to clash at UFC Saudi Arabia on Feb 1 as Sergei Pavlovich and Jairzinho Ronzenstruik will meet in the octagon.
Alex Behunin was the first to break the news.
Pavlovich (18-3) is currently on a two-fight losing streak with losses against Tom Aspinall at UFC 295, and Alexander Volkov in June. The #4 ranked heavyweight will defend his ranking in Saudi Arabia.
The fight against Aspinall was a short-notice interim title bout as the co-main event of UFC 295. After current heavyweight champion Jon Jones suffered an injury taking him out of his main event fight with Stipe Miocic the top of the card was reworked. Aspinall came out victorious and is the current interim heavyweight champion.
Prior to that loss Pavlovich had been on a 6-fight win streak.
Rozenstruik (15-5) has seen a resurgence as of late with two consecutive victories over Tai Tuivasa and Shamil Gaziev respectively. The #9 ranked heavyweight holds victories over Chris Daukaus, Augusto Sakai, Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem to name a few.
‘Bigi Boy’ entered the UFC in 2019 putting together four straight knockout finishes over Junior Albini, Allen Crowder, Andrei Arlovski and Overeem before running into Franci Ngannou in May 2020. That fight lasted 20-seconds and saw Rozenstruik suffer his first professional MMA loss.
UFC Saudi Arabia is set for Feb 1 and the card is currently as follows:
- Sergei Pavlovich vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
- Ikram Aliskerov vs. Andre Muniz
