Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s rise through the UFC heavyweight division has been a quick one, and things might just get even faster next month.
The Surinamese fighter began his career in the UFC back in February, scoring a second-round TKO victory over Junior Albini at UFC on ESPN+ 2 in Brazil. Since his debut, Rozenstruik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has picked up first-round knockouts over Allen Crowder and most recently former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.
And just a couple of days after the biggest win of his career at UFC 244, Rozenstruik was slotted to face another legendary name in the game. The unbeaten heavyweight replaced Walt Harris, who’s in search of his missing step-daughter, to take on Alistair Overeem (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in the main event of UFC on ESPN 7 on Dec. 7.
“I just fought, and I didn’t fight that long, and there was an opportunity that came up with the Walt Harris situation with his stepdaughter missing. I hope they find her as soon as possible in this heart-breaking situation, and there was a chance where I could’ve got the fight or Derick Lewis could’ve got that fight,” Rozenstruik told MMA Junkie. “But Derrick Lewis fought, and I think he’s a little bit injured. I think I was the only one that wasn’t injured, so I got the opportunity to get the fight. As soon as the question came up I accepted.
“A win over Alistair Overeem would mean a lot for my career, and for sure I’m happy. I get the chance at this high level in the rankings to prove my skills. I see it as a test and on December 7, I’ll be ready to show my skills.”
Overeem is No. 8 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie heavyweight rankings and holds one of the bigger names in the weight class, having fought for the UFC title and being a former Strikeforce and DREAM heavyweight champion.
Rozenstruik, who trains out of Hardknocks 365 in South Florida, is well aware of what a win over “The Reem” could do to his career.
“I hope a win over Alistair Overeem will bring me to the top 10, maybe top five,” Rozenstruik said. “With this fight, I’m already happy, so where I land on the rankings with this fight is just going to be a surprise. I’m already happy with this matchup, so that’s a surprise for me. I come from all the way down, and I got myself up this fast, so whatever comes next will be just extra for me.
“Overeem got my respect for sure. He’s done a lot; he’s a legendary name. He has a good style, and I’ll be prepared for everything. I’ll make sure to get my hand raised at the end of the fight whether it goes five rounds or one. I think a win over him would be very good for my career.”
The idea of possibly going from a UFC debutant to a top title contender in less than a year is one that still sounds a little crazy to Rozenstruik.
“I have to be honest: No, I never saw it coming so fast,” Rozenstruik explained. “I really wanted it. Me and my coach Michael Babb, we didn’t expect it be so fast. We train hard all the time, so we expect everything, but that we were going to rise so fast in 2019, no, we didn’t see it, but we’re happy with it.”
Rozenstruik is happy and feels lucky to have been able to get four fights in his first year with the UFC. He’s also grateful of the household names he’s been able to get matched up.
“Yeah, he’s (Alistair Overeem) a big name, and it’s good to have a win over such a big name on your record, and you’ll always remember those special moments for sure,” Rozenstruik said.
“As soon as I got that fight, I was like, ‘Oh damn, I know those guys from my PlayStation.’ I’ve been working for this, and this is awesome. I’m living my dream, and I give it my all. I’ve been playing them (UFC games) since PlayStation 2, and now I play it on my PlayStation 4.”
It’s unsure where a win on Dec. 7 could put “Bigi Boy” in the UFC heavyweight sphere, but it will sure get him a lot closer to championship gold. And Rozenstruik is not afraid of being catapulted to the very top.
“I was born ready for this. Life prepared me for this, and I can’t wait to get to the top after this,” Rozenstruik said. “I’m going to get to there one way or another. I will win this fight. I really want to make it happen.”
Jairzinho Rozenstruik in awe of quick UFC rise: 'Damn, I know those guys from my PlayStation'
