We’ve got a heavyweight battle headlining
#UFCVegas87 😤@JairRozenstruik
vs Shamil GazievGet your VIP tickets here: https://t.co/cAUu6s8BsQ pic.twitter.com/hWp1kYNAw1
— UFC (@ufc)
February 9, 2024
Heavyweight headliners are back on the menu for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2024.
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Ahead of
UFC Fight Night 238 on March 2, an event famously moved from
Saudi Arabia to Las Vegas due to a perceived lack of star power, a
top matchup was on the docket between Jairzinho
Rozenstruik (13-5) and Shamil
Gaziev (12-0). The show did not have a main attraction Thursday
when Eurosport
NL reported that this heavyweight contest had been elevated to
the main event. The promotion confirmed
this booking would be on the top marquee on Friday.
Rozenstruik has struggled the last couple years, only managing one
win—a 23-second knockout of Chris
Daukaus—while suffering three defeats to Curtis
Blaydes, Alexander
Volkov, and most recently, Jailton
Almeida. Despite his setbacks, “Bigi Boy” still sports a
sky-high knockout rate of 92%, and he is on the heavyweight
knockout leaderboard tied in the top 10 with several other men with
seven to his credit.
Born in Dagestan, Russia, and currently representing Bahrain,
Gaziev has yet to suffer a loss as a pro. This appearance will be
only his second under the UFC banner, as he made his triumphant
debut in December by laying waste to Martin
Buday in under six minutes. Like his opponent, Gaziev has
earned all but one of his victories by stoppage, with all 11
finishes coming within two rounds.
UFC Fight Night 238 goes down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on March
2, with Rozenstruik-Gaziev in the pole position. Other key pairings
include a flyweight clash between Alex Perez
and Muhammad
Mokaev, a light heavyweight collision of Vitor
Petrino vs. Tyson Pedro
and a lightweight affair as Joel
Alvarez takes on Ludovit
Klein.