Jairzinho Rozenstruik really put on a show, huh? Kept the door to the UFC heavyweight elite firmly shut. He’s got that crushing jab and those takedown defenses that just keep getting better.
And then there was Shamil Gaziev. Undefeated, until he wasn’t. The UFC Fight Night 238 headliner was brutal for him. By the end of the fourth round, it was clear he couldn’t take any more. The doc said “no more” between rounds. Tough night for Gaziev, now 12-1.
Rozenstruik? He bounced back like it was nothing after a late first-round takedown. Bloodied Gaziev’s nose with jabs that came fast and furious. Leg kicks, too. His combos just kept getting stronger.
Switching gears, Vitor Petrino’s fight was… well, let’s just say it had its moments. Fought Tyson Pedro in a light heavyweight match that had everyone’s eyes on the clock. But hey, Petrino kept his undefeated streak, so there’s that.
Pedro tried, bless him. Tried to keep Petrino at bay with those lower leg kicks. But Petrino’s jab? That was something else. Round 3 was where he shined, with takedowns and a bit of ground-and-pound. Tried for an arm-triangle, but no dice. Still, he won. Clearly.
Then, Pedro dropped a bombshell. He’s retiring from MMA. End of an era.
Muhammad Mokaev, that KHK MMA Team prospect, kept his unbeaten streak too. Faced off against Alex Perez in a flyweight bout that was all about the clinch. Judges gave it to Mokaev, but Perez made him work for it.
Perez was no pushover. Denied most of Mokaev’s takedown attempts with a solid sprawl. But offense? Not much. Mokaev landed the more significant strikes and even threw in a belly-to-back suplex for good measure.
Mokaev’s on a roll, hasn’t lost since a no contest back in June 2021. Kid’s going places.
Now, Umar Nurmagomedov. Talk about resilience. Got knocked down early by Bekzat Almakhan but came back to win by unanimous decision. Kept his perfect record, too. Almakhan gave it his all, but Nurmagomedov’s control and ground-and-pound were just too much.
And Steve Erceg? What a knockout. Floored Matt Schnell in the second round with a left hook that’ll be on highlight reels for a while. Erceg’s on an 11-fight win streak now. Schnell? He’ll be feeling that one for days.
So, there you have it. A night of fights that had a bit of everything. Wins, losses, and a retirement. MMA, never a dull moment.