In MMA losing undefeated can mark the turning point in a career. Some come out stronger and others sink to end up far from what was expected of them. At that midpoint is Jairzinho Rozenstruik. The 33-year-old from Suriname entered the UFC with a 6-0 record. His first four fights in the UFC were solved by knocking out and he came up really fast. Ngannou stopped him, it seemed that he regained the flight against Dos Santos, but fell again against Ciryl Gane in February.
That last fight, which yielded to points (the second fight of his career that went to the cards) left a bad feeling. There are doubts about what it can prove. It is before the hour of ratification. He will do it, this Saturday at UFC Las Vegas 28, against another fighter who comes in a similar situation. Augusto Sakai (Brazil, 30 years old) won his first five fights in the UFC, but saw how Alistair Overeem stopped him in September 2020. In his case, he had already lost undefeated, but he must show that after passing through Bellator, he can fight in the most important company in the world.
Jairzinho starts on Saturday from the sixth position in the ranking and Sakai from the nine. The former expected a better ranking, but “I will fight anyone who is in the top fifteen,” he has always repeated. You must prove your status. ANDIn betting the favorite is Rozenstruik, albeit by a small margin. It is logical, both are not very far on paper. The punch is the best weapon of both, and Jairzinho has a slight advantage there, as he has knocked out 91% of his victories. For his part, Sakai has achieved 79% of his triumphs by way of the KO. The rest, to the points. Therefore, a strikers fight is expected to be carried out by the most successful one. The favorite arrives under pressure and has already warned that he will go with everything to find a nice ending. It is a double-edged sword, you could risk more than necessary. The octagon will put everyone in their place.
