One of 2 heavyweight bouts on UFC 305 was Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs Tai Tuivasa. Rozenstruik is a name that has been around the heavyweight division for a while. Whilst Rozenstruick is a skillful kickboxer he has been struggling to get a continuous win streak going. Last time out Rozenstruik easily beat Shamil Gaziev who didn’t have the skill or cardio to compete with Rozenstruik.
Tuivasa is a crude heavyweight slugger who has been experiencing difficulties at the top level after having a career resurgence. Tai rides a 4 fight losing streak being knocked out by Pavlovich and Gane and subbed by Volkov and Tybura. Another loss at this point could result in Tai getting cut and extending his losing streak to 5 in a row.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik Outclasses Tai Tuivasa At UFC 305
From the get go their was a clear difference in skill level between Bigi boy and Tai. Round 1 saw both men be quite tentative however the way the round played out suited Rozenstruik. Rozenstruik was able to pick at Tai with leg kicks and some jabs from range. Tai tried to land some leg kicks of his own but was unable to land them. This was a consistent issue from Tai throughout the fight. Tuivasa also seemed reluctant to engage in a brawl but given the recent KOs he suffered it’s understandable.
Round 2 saw things heat up with both men landing. However, Rozenstruik for the most part always got the better of the exchanges. Rozenstrik was able to land good combinations on Tai but Bam Bam was able to wat the shots. This round saw Rozenstruik land a nasty knee. Tuivasa was able to land some right hands but Rozenstruik was able to land more.
By round 3 things had cooled down again. Rozenstruik was consistently able to land that leg kick and jab from the outside. Tai was reluctant to engage but did manage to time a right hand. Tuivasa also tried elbows but was far too out of range to land them. in the final 10 or so seconds both men decided to throw down. The fight went the distance and Rozenstruik won a split decision. It should have been unanimous but somehow one judge scored the fight 30-27 for Tai.
With this win Rozenstruik extends his win streak and climbs up the ladder at heavyweight. Unfortunately for Tuivasa this means he’s on a 5 fight losing streak and at risk of being cut from the UFC.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
