It won’t be easy to top, but Jairzinho Rozenstruik is looking to make 2020 a better year than 2019.
The heavyweight striker, who won MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Breakout Fighter of the Year” award, kicks off 2020 with a high-profile bout against fellow contender Francis Ngannou in the UFC on ESPN 8 main event in Columbus, Ohio, on March 28.
Rozenstruik (10-0 MMA, 4-0 MMA) went 4-0 in 2019 with stoppages of Junior Albini, Allen Crowder, Andrei Arlovski and Alistair Overeem, so he’ll need remarkable results in order to beat a 2019 that had him rise from debutant to title contender.
“Bigi Boy” knows what he needs to do to make 2020 the best year of his career and has a simple plan to get that done.
“Basically, what I’ve heard people say is that I’m supposed to get the title shot, and I think (Ngannou is) also risking his spot for that,” Rozenstruik told MMA Junkie. “So I’m going to beat him, take his spot, and I’m going to go for the title.”
It’s easier said than done since Ngannou has only been defeated twice in the UFC – once by current champ Stipe Miocic and once by Derrick Lewis in a fight many consider an anomaly.
Ngannou has carved his path in MMA with wild knockouts of world-class fighters. Rozenstruik is aware of the challenges the Cameroonian poses, but remains unfazed toward them.
“I fought a lot of strong guys before – big, scary guys – and I used to knock them out. This won’t be any different,” Rozenstruik said. “The only thing I know is that we’re working and we’re going to get the job done. That’s what we’re going in for.
“I don’t think he’s the best striker I’m going to face, but he is the biggest challenge. We believe we’re going to put him away. It’s a fight. It’s going to go back and forth – who lands first, who can take a shot, who cannot. We’re going to see March 28.”
