Following a uncommon weekend off, the UFC is again at its Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday with a heavyweight contest between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Augusto Sakai.
If we’re being trustworthy, this UFC Combat Night time affords a redo of kinds for Rozenstruik (11-2) and Sakai (15-2-1), as they’re each coming off disappointing ends in a UFC predominant occasion. Every of them had a possibility to take an enormous step ahead within the division in his final combat — and every got here up effectively brief.
Rozenstruik, 33, particularly, was spectacularly lackluster in a five-round resolution loss to Ciryl Gane in February. It wasn’t simply that Rozenstruik misplaced each single spherical of that predominant occasion; it was that he by no means appeared to do a lot of something to show the tide in his favor. He was timid, and acquired loads of postfight criticism for it.
“I’ve to be the primary man to this combat,” Rozenstruik informed the media this week, in a transparent nod to the current criticism. “It doesn’t matter what’s occurring, the way it’s going to occur, I’ve to be first. This combat goes to be thrilling.”
For Sakai, 30, the frustration is much less about his efficiency than it’s in regards to the outcome. After beginning his UFC profession 4-0, he stumbled in his largest take a look at towards Alistair Overeem final September. Sakai has proven promise and has loads of years forward of him, however in his first predominant occasion, towards a step up in competitors, he didn’t get it completed.
If any of this evaluation feels a bit of harsh — maybe putting too excessive of an expectation on Rozenstruik and Sakai — that’s as a result of it’s meant to be. The UFC’s heavyweight division is broad, broad, broad open. It has a brand new champion in Francis Ngannou and a possible main addition in former mild heavyweight champion Jon Jones. However it’s ripe for the taking in any other case.
Frankly, there are query marks surrounding each different heavyweight contender. Former champ Stipe Miocic is on the lookout for a comeback however nearing 40 years outdated. Derrick Lewis is on a run however has come up brief on the highest stage earlier than. Gane has potential however is comparatively inexperienced. Curtis Blaydes, Alexander Volkov, Shamil Abdurakhimov, Walt Harris — none has set himself aside.
It’s one thing of a present for Rozenstruik and Sakai to get this predominant occasion billing, coming off their respective losses. Who will benefit from it?
By the numbers
5: Victories by Rozenstruik because the begin of 2019, all by knockout. That ties him with Ciryl Gane for essentially the most heavyweight wins and with welterweight Vicente Luque for many finishes throughout all UFC divisions throughout that point span. Ten of Rozenstruik’s 11 profession wins have come by KO/TKO.
11: Knockouts by Sakai amongst his 15 profession bouts.
1: Natives of Suriname who’ve competed within the UFC. Rozenstruik is the one one.
5.27: Strikes landed per minute within the UFC by Sakai, the fourth most amongst energetic heavyweights (minimal 5 fights).
80: Share of opponents’ takedown makes an attempt efficiently defended within the UFC by Rozenstruik, the second greatest amongst energetic heavyweights. Marcin Tybura, who fights in Saturday’s co-main occasion, is first at 82.1%.
Sources: ESPN Stats & Data and UFC Stats
5 vs. 5
Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s most up-to-date outcomes
Loss: Ciryl Gane (UD, Feb. 27, 2023; watch on ESPN+)
Win: Junior dos Santos (TKO2, Aug. 15, 2023; watch on ESPN+)
Loss: Francis Ngannou (KO1, Could 9, 2023; watch on ESPN+)
Win: Alistair Overeem (KO5, Dec. 7, 2019; watch on ESPN+)
Win: Andrei Arlovski (KO1, Nov. 2, 2019; watch on ESPN+)
Augusto Sakai’s most up-to-date outcomes
Loss: Alistair Overeem (TKO5, Sept. 5, 2023; watch on ESPN+)
Win: Blagoy Ivanov (SD, Could 30, 2023; watch on ESPN+)
Win: Marcin Tybura (KO1, Sept. 14, 2019; watch on ESPN+)
Win: Andrei Arlovski (SD, April 27, 2019; watch on ESPN+)
Win: Chase Sherman (TKO3, Sept. 22, 2018)
And the winner is …
“I believe the longer it goes, the extra it favors Sakai,” stated Cody Donovan, who as Elevation Combat Crew coach has ready fighters for each males. “I used to be impressed with Jairzinho within the combat with Alistair Overeem. I don’t assume he did a lot for a lot of the combat. In Spherical 4, I felt like he didn’t do something. However Alistair type of punched himself out, and Jairzinho did what he needed to to win. … If I’m Sakai’s coach, we placed on the amount, we transfer to our left, we steer clear of Jairzinho’s left hand. We power the clinch, stuff the place Sakai is fairly nasty.”
Take a look at how Donovan and different coaches break down the principle occasion and predict a winner.
Tips on how to watch the fights
Watch the fights on ESPN+. For those who don’t have ESPN+, get it right here. Additionally: Obtain the ESPN App | WatchESPN | TV schedule
There’s additionally FightCenter, which affords stay updates for each UFC card.
Saturday’s combat card
ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET
Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Augusto Sakai | Heavyweight
Walt Harris vs. Marcin Tybura | Heavyweight
Roman Dolidze vs. Laureano Staropoli | Middleweight
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Miguel Baeza | Welterweight
Dusko Todorovic vs. Gregory Rodrigues | Middleweight
Tom Breese vs. Antonio Arroyo | Middleweight
ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET
Montana De La Rosa vs. Ariane Lipski | Girls’s flyweight
Tanner Boser vs. Ilir Latifi | Heavyweight
Francisco Trinaldo vs. Muslim Salikhov | Welterweight
Makwan Amirkhani vs. Kamuela Kirk | Males’s featherweight
Alan Patrick vs. Mason Jones | Light-weight
Manon Fiorot vs. Maryna Moroz | Girls’s flyweight
Sean Woodson vs. Youssef Zalal | Males’s featherweight
Claudio Puelles vs. Jordan Leavitt | Light-weight
5 extra issues to know (from ESPN Stats & Data)
1. The co-main occasion, just like the headlining bout, is at heavyweight. Marcin Tybura has gained 4 straight, the longest streak of his UFC profession. To maintain it going, he’ll have to remain out of Walt Harris’s manner early. Harris owns the third-fastest end (12 seconds) in UFC heavyweight historical past. He has a 100% end price (13 KO/TKOs) and the third-shortest common combat time (6 minutes, 39 seconds) amongst energetic UFC heavyweights.
2. Roman Dolidze will try to proceed the Georgian success story when he faces middleweight Laureano Staropoli. Because the begin of 2023, fighters from the Republic of Georgia are 15-2 within the UFC.
3. LFA middleweight champion Gregory Rodrigues will make his UFC debut as a alternative opponent for Dusko Todorovic. Rodrigues, recent off of successful a LFA title bout over Josh Fremd on Could 21, appeared on Dana White’s Contender Sequence in a 2023 loss to Jordan Williams. Todorovic initially was slated to face Maki Pitolo.
4. Two fighters will put excellent data on the road: Jordan Leavitt (8-0, 1-0 in UFC) begins the prelims with a light-weight bout towards Claudio Puelles, and Miguel Baeza (10-0, 3-0 in UFC) faces veteran welterweight Santiago Ponzinibbio on the principle card.
5. Saturday’s 28 fighters are set to characterize 17 international locations, which if the cardboard stays intact would set a file for many international locations represented in a UFC occasion. The present file is 16, which is shared by three occasions.
ESPN’s Jeff Wagenheim contributed to this combat preview.
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