UFC releases Rozenstruik after timid loss to Pavlovich
The UFC released heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik following his loss to Sergei Pavlovich at UFC Saudi Arabia this past weekend, the promotion confirmed to MMA Fighting's Damon Martin on Monday.
Rozenstruik suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Pavlovich in a lackluster matchup on Saturday's main card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Afterward, UFC CEO Dana White called the fight "horrible."
Pavlovich and Rozenstruik were ranked No. 4 and No. 9, respectively, in the division coming in.
Rozenstruik was riding a two-fight winning streak before falling short against Pavlovich.
The Suriname native made his UFC debut in 2019 and won his first four fights all by knockout, including a main-event bout against former title challenger Alistair Overeem.
From there, however, Rozenstruik experienced mixed results in the cage. He went 5-6 over his next 11 fights - including five other main events - to finish his Octagon career with a 9-6 record.
In 2024, Rozenstruik earned wins over Tai Tuivasa and Shamil Gaziev, both of whom remain on the UFC roster.
Rozenstruik, 36, holds a career record of 15-6 with 13 knockout victories.