WASHINGTON – Jairzinho Rozenstruik knows his name is not easy to pronounce.
The Suriname fighter, who’s scheduled to headline Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 against Alistair Overeem, has had the inconvenience of people having a hard time with his name far before rising into contender status in the UFC’s heavyweight division. And that’s where his nickname “Bigi Boy” comes in.
“The nickname ‘Bigi Boy,’ I’ve got since I was a child, like when I was 9 or 11,” Rozenstruik said at a Thursday media day. “I was playing basketball and not everybody knew how to pronounce my name, so when I used to take a shot, they would say, ‘Hey, you. Make the ball, “Bigi Boy.”‘ And from that day, everybody started calling me ‘Bigi Boy,’ and still to this day.
“Everywhere I go, everyone is like, ‘How do you pronounce your name?’ So if you call me ‘Bigi Boy,’ that’s OK.”
People around Rozenstruik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) struggled with his name even at an early age. Rozenstruik’s name is actually Portuguese and not Dutch, which is the main language of his home country of Suriname.
Rozenstruik will be looking to elevate his name (or nickname) on Saturday night, as he looks to remain unbeaten in MMA and get a win over one of the biggest names in heavyweight history.
“It’s a big chance, it’s a big opportunity,” Rozenstruik said. “Alistair is really famous. He’s a legend of the game. He’s been around forever. It’s a good chance, and I’m going to make it happen and make myself a legend, too.”
Overeem has been on Rozenstruik’s radar for quite some time, but he said that won’t affect him come fight night.
“No jitters,” Rozenstruik said. “I still like him as a fighter. He was doing his thing back in the day with Brock Lesnar and I was like, ‘Hey, that guy is really strong,’ me and my friends. And now I’m facing him in real life. So it’s crazy. But in the same way, it’s awesome – feels great.”
Jairzinho Rozenstruik explains origin of 'Bigi Boy' nickname ahead of UFC on ESPN 7
