Sergei Pavlovich and Jaizinho Rozenstruik, UFC Saudi Arabia Credit score: Youtube/UFC
A pair of heavy hitters with almost 30 knockout victories between them confronted off at UFC Saudi Arabia, with Sergi Pavlovich seeking to snap a two-fight skid in opposition to Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Suriname’s “Bigi Boy” Rozenstruik had picked up wins in opposition to Shamil Gaziev and Tai Tuivasa in 2024, whereas Russia’s Pavlovich had misplaced an interim title combat in opposition to Tom Aspinall, following by a pairing reverse Alexander Volkov.
It was Rozenstruik touchdown the primary stable connection share of a cracking leg kick. Each males confirmed appreciable respect for the opposite’s energy, with plenty of feints early on. The dearth of motion noticed the group develop stressed, however a few large swings, regardless of lacking, drew an audible gasp from the lots. The pair then traded leg kicks, inside and inside, and Pavlovich landed upstairs after that, inflicting Rozenstruik to again off.
Within the subsequent change, Rozenstruik slipped off a counter, falling to his again and permitting Pavlovich to get on high. In a detailed, low-action body, the management time and floor n’ pound might need been sufficient to safe the spherical for the Russian.
Pavlovich and Rozenstruik continued to face toe-to-toe to open spherical two, Pavlovich feinting, Rozenstruik exhibiting respectable head motion. The opening two minutes of the body noticed little thrown and fewer join, however Pavlovich would land a glancing blow in a uncommon change. The group continued to voice their displeasure, main ref Mark Smith to instruct the fighters to get busy. Moments later, Pavlovich knocked Rozenstruik down with a punch that noticed him stumble again; as he had within the first, Sergei bought on high, this time in half guard. Simply over 90 seconds have been nonetheless on the clock; Jair tied issues up on the underside, or not less than tried to, not giving the Russian any area during which to work.
It’s by no means signal when the followers are nonetheless booing after two rounds; for Jairzinho Rozenstruik, issues seemed even worse, together with his nook urging him to discover a end early within the third. “F*ck five minutes” was the message, whether or not their fighter may reply was the query.
As an alternative of discovering a end, nevertheless, Rozenstruik discovered himself on his again lower than two minutes into the spherical. The hulking Sergei Pavlovich bought into half-guard as soon as once more, whereas Jair appeared unable to blow up out. Simply in regards to the furthest factor from a menace off his again, Rozenstruik was primarily simply taking part in protection, and though he did get again to his ft late within the third, the result was a forgone conclusion by that time.
Official End result: Sergei Pavlovich def. Jairzinho Rozenstruik by unanimous determination (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
