SUMMARY
- Jairzinho Rozenstruik is a heavyweight fighter in the UFC.
- He will face the unbeaten prospect Shamil Gaziev this Saturday.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik will take on Shamil Gaziev in the main event of this weekend’s UFC Fight Night card. While Rozenstruik is ranked 12 in the division, Gaziev is yet unranked. So beating “Bigi Boy” this Saturday will mean a lot for Shamil’s career and help him break into the top 15 of the division.
The Surinamese fighter has had a tough time inside the Octagon recently. In his last eight fights, Rozenstruik has lost five bouts. Since his vicious KO loss to Francis Ngannou, Jairzinho has yet to find his groove. While he has beaten the likes of Chris Daukaus, Augusto Sakai, and Junior dos Santos, Rozenstruik has lost to Ciryl Gane, Alexander Volkov, and Curtis Blaydes.
In his last bout, the 35-year-old fighter lost to Jailton Almeida via submission in May 2023. His opponent, Shamil Gaziev, is an unbeaten heavyweight prospect. Gaziev defeated Greg Velasco via submission in Dana White’s Contender series in September 2023. After that, Shamil made his UFC debut against Martin Buday and won the contest via a TKO.
UFC Fight Night: Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Shamil Gaziev stats
| Stats | Jairzinho Rozenstruik | Shamil Gaziev |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 13 | 12 |
| Losses | 5 | 0 |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in | 6 ft 3 in |
| Division | Heavyweight | Heavyweight |
| Reach | 78 in | 78.3 in |
| Age | 35 | 34 |
Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev: Fight breakdown and prediction
As per UFC stats, Jairzinho Rozenstruik lands 2.81 strikes per minute with an accuracy rate of 46%. However, his absorption rate is much higher as opponents land 3.15 strikes per minute on him. For someone who depends on his striking to win the match, Rozenstruik’s 45% striking defense does not instill confidence. As for his grappling, Jairzinho has no interest in taking the bout to the ground, and his stats prove it.
Shamil Gaziev, on the other hand, is averaging 6.19 strikes per minute and absorbing only 0.93 strikes at the same time. However, he has only had two fights inside the Octagon, and Gaziev has yet to face any of the elite fighters in the division. Hence, facing Rozenstruik will be the first big challenge of Shamil Gaziev’s relatively young MMA career. But, keeping the stats and recent records in mind, the 33-year-old will be the favorite.
While both Gaziev and Rozenstruik have the same reach on paper, the former is taller and will have an easier time keeping the distance and land strikes from outside. Shamil has 8 KOs and 3 submissions in his career. So he will be an equal threat both on the feet and on the ground. After taking some losses, the onus is on Rozenstruik to prove he can withstand the challenge from the rising contender.
