Veteran heavyweight contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik finds himself in elite company heading into Saturday's UFC Fight Night main event against rising prospect Shamil Gaziev. Their five-round battle tops the main UFC fight card starting at 4 p.m. ET from the Apex facility in Las Vegas. The No. 12-ranked Rozenstruik has never competed for the belt, but he's had a high number of opportunities to showcase his talent. He is about to make his sixth headlining appearance, more than every active UFC champion except the currently idle Jon Jones. Rozenstruik is just 2-3 in prior main events, including a loss in his previous performance. Gaziev is an unranked prospect making his headlining debut who will likely crack the top 15 in the UFC rankings with a victory.
Gaziev is a -165 favorite (risk $165 to win $100), while Rozenstruik is priced at +140 (risk $100 to win $140) in the latest UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev odds from the SportsLine consensus. In the co-main event, Vitor Petrino (-300) meets Tyson Pedro (+240) in a matchup of light heavyweight prospects. Before locking in your picks for UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani.
From breaking down film and following fighters and their camps closely, to tracking sharp action and betting market signals, Vithlani covers the breadth of the MMA betting landscape top to bottom. He also trains amateur boxers and speaks regularly with MMA fighters to understand the sport's nuances.
Vithlani made his SportsLine debut last January of last year and swept the main card for UFC 283 with a 5-0 record and has been a consistent winner ever since. At UFC 292 in August, he predicted the upset for underdog Sean O'Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) in the bantamweight championship main event. Anyone who has followed Vithlani already has seen massive returns.
Now, UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev in sight, Vithlani has studied the card from top to bottom and released his top selections. You can only see those picks at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev preview
The main event appears to provide both fighters with an opportunity to prove something. With a dominant showing, Rozenstruik could reclaim his status as a top-10 heavyweight and perhaps save his job in the process. Conversely, handing Gaziev a headlining appearance in just his second UFC fight sets the stage for fast-tracking him toward a ranking and higher-profile opportunities should he deliver on his perceived potential.
Rozenstruik (13-5) started his UFC stint with four consecutive knockout victories, highlighted by a last-second finish of former veteran contender Alistair Overeem. However, a 20-second knockout loss to former champion Francis Ngannou would set off a stretch that has seen him go 3-5 in his last eight outings, while being exposed as somewhat one-dimensional in the process.
The 35-year-old's seven knockouts in seven UFC victories illustrate that he has the power to present danger to any opponent in the octagon. However, his lack of success against upper-tier competition suggests that the bottom of the top 10 might be his ceiling. In his last performance, Rozenstruik was submitted in the first round against prospect Jailton Almeida last May.
Gaziev (12-0) is a versatile prospect who gained attention for success in the Brave Combat Federation and other respected promotions. The 34-year-old Dagestan native reportedly once trained with the iconic Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired from the UFC with a 29-0 record as lightweight champion.
Gaziev has shown grappling and athleticism that are rare for heavyweights. Following an appearance on "Dana White's Contender Series," Gaziev made his UFC debut last December against veteran Martin Buday at UFC 296. He dominated from the opening bell and won by second-round stoppage. You can only see who to pick at UFC Fight Night here.
UFC Fight Night predictions
We'll reveal one of Vithlani's UFC Fight Night predictions here: He is backing Muhammad Mokaev (-360) to get his hand raised against Alex Perez (+280) in a battle of flyweight prospects on the main card.
Mokaev (11-0-1) is a grappling ace who has seen his stock soar as perhaps the division's hottest prospect behind a 5-0 start to his UFC career in just two years. The 23-year-old Russian has notched submissions in four of those five wins and is coming off a third-round submission of veteran Tim Elliott in October.
Perez (24-7) is a seven-year UFC veteran who soared to the top of the rankings behind a 6-1 start with the promotion. However, the 31-year-old Californian has seen his momentum halted in the form of back-to-back losses, including one to current champion Alexandre Pantoja.
"Mokaev is a talented grappler who moves through positions with the savvy of a veteran. However, he has shown his youth at times with lapses in his fight IQ. He is a young athlete who can still fight with his ego at times. I think he will pay for his mistakes sometime soon, but not in this fight," Vithlani told SportsLine. See who else to back here.
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Vithlani has strong picks for Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev and other bouts on the UFC Fight Night card. He's also backing a fighter who "is a skilled striker and an even more skilled Jiu-Jitsu player" to emerge with a dominant victory. Those picks are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on UFC Fight Night, all from the MMA expert who profited more than 62 units, and find out.
UFC Fight Night odds, fight card
See full UFC Fight Night picks, predictions, best bets here.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik (+140) vs. Shamil Gaziev (-165)
Vitor Petrino (-300) vs. Tyson Pedro (+240)
Muhammad Mokaev (-360) vs. Alex Perez (+280)
Matt Schnell (+240) vs. Steve Erceg (-310)
Umar Nurmagomedov (-1,100) Vs. Bekzat Almakhan (+700)
Eryk Anders (-370) vs. Jamie Pickett (+265)
Javid Basharat (-700) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (+450)
Loik Radzhabov (+145) vs. Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (-170)
Christian Leroy Duncan (-260) vs. Claudio Ribeiro (+210)
Ludovit Klein (-800) vs. AJ Cunningham (+575)
