It is all about the heavy weights in the UFC this Saturday, with an enticing card that is headlined by a clash between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Augusto Sakai which will determine who is a pretender, and who is a title contender.
Jairzinho “Bigi Boy” Rozenstruik vs Augusto Sakai
Today’s UFC Fight Night is headlined by a heavyweight clash between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Augusto Sakai which will determine who sticks around in the title match discussion.
Rozenstruik is a relatively fresh face in the UFC, but with a record of 5-2 he has put on some solid performances in his short time with the promotion. All 5 of his victories in the UFC have been finishes, including two KO/TKO wins in the opening 30 seconds, as well as a last minute knockout over veteran big man, Alistair Overeem.
The Bigi Boy last fought in February in a one sided defeat to Ciryl Gane, which saw Rozenstruik land just 42 strikes to Ganes’ 102, and fail to perform a takedown.
A new opportunity. Bigi Boy is back! #UFCVegas28 pic.twitter.com/smkIuqtR4G
— Jairzinho ‘BIGI BOY’ Rozenstruik (@JairRozenstruik) June 4, 2021
Sakai has experienced a similar UFC journey to Rozenstruik, since joining the company back in 2017 he has amassed 5 wins and 1 loss, with Alistair Overeem responsible for halting his win streak at the back end of 2020.
The big Brazilian is known for his knockout power, with 11 of his 15 professional MMA wins coming by way of KO, which should make for an interesting matchup against fellow hard-hitter Rozenstruik.
Both fighters prefer to keep their feet, and they will no doubt be happy to trade blows with one another, and with pretty poor defensive game in either corner we wouldn’t be surprised to see another knockout.
Rozenstruik was somewhat exposed against Gane, finding it difficult to perform against a fighter who wasn’t going to engage him in a slugfest, however, Sakai will likely do just that, and in a battle of blows we are giving the Bigi Boy the edge.
UFC Prediction: Jairzinho Rozenstruik (-126)
Best Prop: Jairzinho Rozenstruik to win by KO/TKO (+125)
Walt Harris vs Marcin Tybura
Walt “Big Ticket” Harris and Marcin “Tybur” Tybura go head to head in the co-main event in another heavyweight paper which on paper, looks very similar to the main event.
The 37 year old Harris is coming into this one after back to back defeats in 2020, which saw Big Ticket K/O’d in the second round by Alexander Volkov and the frequently mentioned Alistair Overeem.
Harris holds a professional MMA record of 13-9-1, with all 13 of those wins coming in the form of a KO/TKO, showing his preference for trading blows rather than grappling and fighting on the ground, infact, over his entire UFC career Harris has only completed 2 takedowns.
After winning 4 straight games across an electric 2020, Marcin Tybura is coming into this one with momentum on his side. The 12th ranked heavyweight may have saved his UFC career with his spike in form, and he will be looking to keep that form going against the slumping Harris.
LANDS IT! 🤯@MarcinTybura looks to make it FIVE in a row at #UFCVegas28 on Sunday! pic.twitter.com/A7VzK9nLW1
— UFC_Asia (@UFC_Asia) June 1, 2021
Tybura is predominantly a striker, the Pole possesses immense punching power and just like Harris he is capable of finishing the fight at any point, however, unlike his opponent, Tybura is a far more accomplished wrestler, and he will have no issues bringing the game to the ground if it turns in to too much of a slugfest.
All signs point to Tybur in this one, not only is he the younger of the two, but he is coming into the bout with a good string of results under his belt, and is on par with Harris in terms of striking, while holding a clear advantage on the mat
UFC Prediction: Marcin Tybura (-178)
Best Prop: Marcin Tybura by Points (+220)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
