Jairzinho Rozenstruik proved there are levels to this game. Shamil Gaziev tried to level up at UFC Fight Night on Saturday, but his hopes were spoiled by the veteran from Suriname.
Rozenstruik knows what it's like to be a rising prospect in the heavyweight division. He looked like a major player during the 10-0 start to his career but struggled with the second half of his career. Gaziev -- headlining his first UFC card in his second appearance -- was looking to replicate Rozenstruik's early UFC success. It didn't happen.
Rozenstruik played the matador to Gaziev's raging bull. Gaziev looked significantly bigger but mostly failed to score takedowns, traditionally a weak point for his opponent. Rozenstruik's confidence grew by Round 3 as he busted up Gaziev's nose with stiff jabs. He carried that momentum into an even stronger fourth round.
There was drama in Gaziev's corner heading into Round 5. Referee Marc Goddard demanded honesty from Gaziev's team after concerns about what the Bahraini fighter had said. One of Gaziev's cornermen revealed that Gaziev said he couldn't see out of one eye, leading Goddard to waive off the fight. Rozenstruik was awarded a Round 4 TKO due to a doctor stoppage.
"Stick to the jab and keep moving forward," Rozenstruik told UFC commentator Daniel Cormier during his post-fight interview at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. "The longer the fight went on, I saw I started to hurt him. Eventually, he gave up.
"I'm going to take a step back and recalibrate... I'd like to come back in July or August. Anyone who wants to get it, come and get it."