Jairzinho Rozenstruik is returning to his roots.
Rozenstruik recently defeated Shamil Gadzhiyev by TKO in the fourth round in the main event of UFC Vegas 87. Although Rozenstruik entered the match as a betting underdog, “Bigi Boy” says he and his team had the exact game plan to upset their previously unbeaten run. Gaziev said it worked perfectly.
“The work we had and the game plan we had was exactly what we wanted to accomplish,” Rozenstruik said. MMA hour. “Going forward, we kind of knew in the third round that he didn't want to fight anymore.
“The damage he did in the previous round from an aerobic standpoint. In the third round, we already knew, OK, after the third round he was already complaining to his corner. So while we were talking, I was looking at him for instructions and to know where to apply pressure.
In the end, Gaziev was unable to answer the bell for the fifth round, giving Rozenstryk his eighth victory inside the Octagon. It was an important win for Rozenstruik, who had lost five of his previous eight games before Saturday. He said he believes this is just the first step in the process of getting back to the form he showed in his early UFC fights. We're getting closer to a title fight.
“Right now, I have personally made a lot of changes to my staff and myself,” Rozenstrik said. “I feel like after the Overeem fight I was trying to move away from Suriname, which is the source of my strength. So now I'm taking a few steps back, going home, recalibrating, reconnecting with Suriname and feeling like These are just some of the things I've accomplished on a journey I just started a few months ago.
Rozenstruik, the only current UFC fighter from Suriname, lives in Florida and trains with American Top Team and plans to continue with ATT, but Bigi Boy is determined to recharge and get into top shape. He said he plans to return home to return.
“That's where my real power comes from. Go back to Suriname, lie down in the river and get some strength,” Rozenstrik said. “In Suriname, we want to reconnect with our culture. Going into the river, grounding with the earth, things like that. Navigating my true self, the one that brought me to this higher level. I feel like I've lost the ability to do that. I feel like I need to gain it again. …The main thing is to take a little break, get away from everything, go to the jungle and lie down in the river. One of the things. That's one of the main things I used to do. It brings me relaxation and everything. In my personal life and everything. I feel like my soul is calling for it because I haven’t done it in a while.”
However, despite being away from his source of power in recent years and having a middling record, it hasn't all been bad for Rozenstrik. Over the past five years, Bigi Boy has headlined six UFC cards, which is more than all current UFC champions except Jon Jones and Leon Edwards. This is quite an achievement for a boy from Paramaribo, and one Rozenstruik is proud of.
“I didn't know about that before going into the fight, but everyone started talking about it while I was at the fight week media day, so I paid a little bit more attention to it,” Rozenstruik said in the headline numbers. talked about. “But I'm happy that the UFC sees main event quality in me and they know I can be a main event performer. That's a plus for me as a person and as a fighter.”
And those positives are likely to continue. Rozenstryk has headlined five of the past seven matches, and given the promotion's need for headliners, the next one will likely be the headliner as well, with Rozenstryk aiming for a title shot. That's more than enough for me.
“For me, I don't like name-calling,” Rozenstruik said. “But everyone above me makes sense to me, especially the guys who haven't fought yet. For example, I've never fought [Serghei] Tom Spivak [Aspinall], Tai Tuivasa is good. There's one or two more guys I haven't fought yet.derrick [Lewis]. All of them are good fighters and the main event of that match will definitely be great. ”
