Jairzinho Rozenstruik was once an undefeated UFC heavyweight finishing foes left and right. Now, he embodies his past victims as he opposes a streaking heavyweight in Jailton Almeida who is carving his own path of carnage. The two headline UFC Fight Night in Charlotte on Saturday night.
Rozenstruik (13-4) rattled the heavyweight division like an earthquake, bringing the experience of more than 80 professional kickboxing bouts with him to MMA. Rozenstruik knocked out his first four UFC opponents, including Alistair Overeem and Andrei Arlovski. His 20-second loss to Francis Ngannou was a stumble from which Rozenstruik has yet to steady himself. A shaky 3-4 run followed his initial 10-fight winning streak. Rozenstruik hopes a win over Almeida -- which would contribute to his first consecutive wins in four years -- will position him to face someone hovering around the UFC's official top five.
"Right now, I've fought almost all the guys in the top 10. Two of the guys I haven't fought are Tai Tuivasa and Tom Aspinall. If they're available and I beat this guy, I want to fight one of those guys and we go from there. But I want to move up in the rankings because that's the goal, to move forwards.
"A rematch with Curtis Blaydes makes sense, but also not because it's not an exciting fight. It was a boring fight unless I make some action."
Check out the full interview with Jairzinho Rozenstruik below.
Almeida (18-2) is one of the most potent grappling threats that the heavyweight division has seen in some time. The UFC used to be populated with prodigious submission grapplers like Frank Mir, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Josh Barnett. Almeida could follow in their footsteps if he translates his dangerous combination of takedowns and submissions to a higher level. Almeida is a perfect 4-0 in the UFC, has a 12-fight winning streak and found the finish in all 18 of his professional wins. Much like Rozenstruik, Almeida sees a path to the heavyweight title that runs through Tuivasa.
"I think looking at the rankings and how people are matched right now, I think Tai Tuivasa would make a lot of sense," Almeida told CBS Sports through a translator. "He's highly ranked. If I can get a win over him, it'll be a good way to finish the year close to the top five. I think it's an interesting matchup and I believe we could make it a very fun fight."
Check out the full interview with Jailton Almeida below.
Rozenstruik vs. Almeida headlines UFC in Charlotte, but another fight was originally planned for the marquee. Light heavyweight contenders Anthony Smith and Johnny Walker were originally targeted for Saturday's main event. Smith, a former title challenger, leaned on his experience as a UFC analyst while examining the co-main event.
"I think that I have a significant advantage on the ground. I don't think that's anything that's probably controversial," Smith told CBS Sports. "My fight IQ and my experience, I think, are going to be a pretty big advantage over most people in the division and just my ability to be well-rounded and really just fight the fight wherever it happens. I think that's a very freeing thing for me where I don't have to necessarily always fight in one place or the other. I can pretty much do it wherever you need me to.
"He's incredibly explosive and incredibly athletic. He moves really well for his size. He's fast. He can shut you off with any of his weapons: his hands, elbows, knees, feet. He switches stances well. I don't want to say he's unpredictable because his unpredictability has become a little bit predictable at this point, but he's very creative."
The rest of the undercard fills out with a welterweight battle between Ian Garry and Daniel Rodriguez. Rodriguez struggled on the scale on Friday, but managed to make weight on his second attempt. Plus, rising New Zealand prospect Carlos Ulberg is back in a light heavyweight contest against Ihor Potieria. And veterans open the main card when Alex Morono and Tim Means collide in a welterweight contest.
Below is the rest of the fight card for Saturday night with the latest odds from Caesars Sportsbook before we get to a prediction and pick on the main event.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weightclass |
|---|---|---|
| Jailton Almeida -500 | Jairzinho Rozenstruik +375 | Heavyweight |
| Anthony Smith -110 | Johnny Walker -110 | Light heavyweight |
| Ian Machado Garry -300 | Daniel Rodriguez +240 | Welterweight |
| Carlos Ulberg -420 | Ihor Potieria +330 | Light heavyweight |
| Alex Morono -220 | Tim Means +180 | Welterweight |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: May 13 | Start time: 3 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: Spectrum Center -- Charlotte, North Carolina
TV channel: ABC | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Prediction
Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Jailton Almeida: The speed with which Almeida has finished his UFC opponents makes this fight hard to break down statistically. Almeida has wretched 10% striking defense across five fights, but he's only absorbed nine strikes and seven were in his Contender Series debut. Rozenstruik is certainly the most dangerous striker that Almeida has faced, but he isn't particularly active despite his robust kickboxing background. Rozenstruik struggled to fend off Curtis Blaydes -- failing to defend three of six takedowns -- en route to a decision loss. Almeida has a slightly higher takedown average than Blaydes, but Blaydes achieved his success against a wider range of quality opponents. I suspect Rozenstruik's defense will hold up at first, but Almeida is bound to take him down with enough attempts. My biggest concern for Almeida is that he tends to blitz the takedowns. If he does not mind himself, Rozenstruik could catch him flush with a one-hitter quitter. I'll side with Alemeida and a late first-round stoppage, but don't be shocked if Rozenstruik lands an early, definitive counterpunch. Almeida via SUB1
