This past Saturday in the main event of UFC Vegas 87, we saw a big time matchup in the heavyweight division. Top contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik (14-5) was looking to hand Shamil Gaziev (12-1) his first professional loss.
Entering the bout, I really liked Gaziev in this matchup. He has shown really solid standup skills and he has also shown very solid grappling. He had finished every opponent he had ever been in the ring with and Jairzinho Rozenstruik has been very underwhelming over the past few years.
The first two rounds on Saturday night had a lot of back-and-forth action. Rozenstruik was doing solid work with his jab and leg kicks while Gaziev was able to land with decent volume and he got a takedown in the first round. However, after the second round, it was all downhill for Gaziev.
He was visibly exhausted and Rozenstruik just started to pick him apart. There was really nothing Gaziev had for Rozenstruik between rounds three and four. After the fourth round, Gaziev complained that he couldn’t see and the doctors stopped the fight giving Rozenstruik the TKO win at UFC Vegas 87.
What’s next after UFC Vegas 87?
This was a big win for Rozenstruik who was coming off a lopsided loss to Jailton Almeida and a stretch that saw him go just 3-5 in eight fights after previously being 10-0. Rozenstruik will look to build back up some momentum on the heels of this win and there’s an opponent that’s perfect for his next fight.
Without a doubt in my mind, Rozenstruik should fight the UFC’s knockout king, Derrick Lewis next. The Black Beast and Rozenstruik were originally being planned last year, but Lewis stepped in for the promotion when Jailton Almeida needed an opponent in Brazil.
Now, it’s the perfect time to pair these two against each other. The winner gets going back in the top ten while the loser will still be ranked near the back end of the rankings.