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Jairzinho Rozenstruik | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Jairzinho Rozenstruik is getting back to his roots. Recently, Rozenstruik scored a fourth-round TKO over Shamil Gaziev in the main event of UFC Vegas 87. Though Rozenstruik entered the bout as the betting underdog, “Bigi Boi” says he and his team had a precise game plan to upend the previously undefeated Gaziev and that it worked to perfection. “The work that we had and the game plan that we had was exactly what we wanted to accomplish,” Rozenstruik said on The MMA Hour. “Going forward, we kind of knew from the third round, he doesn’t want to fight anymore. “From a cardio standpoint, the damage he took in the previous round. In the third round, we already knew, OK, after the third round he was already complaining to his corner. So while we were talking, I was getting instructions, we were keeping an eye on him so we knew where to put the pressure.” Ultimately, Gaziev was unable to answer the bell for the fifth round, and Rozenstruik picked up his eight win inside the octagon. It was a critical victory for Rozenstruik, who had lost five of his previous eight fights before Saturday, who says that was just the first step in a process which he believes will get him back to the form he showed in his early UFC run when was close to fighting for a title. “Right now I’ve made a lot of changes in my staff and my self, personally,” Rozenstruik said. “I feel like after the Overeem fight I was navigating away from my power source, which is Suriname. So right now I’m taking a couple of steps back, go back home, recalibrate, reconnect with Suriname, get myself together, and this was a small piece of what I accomplished in my journey that I just started a few months ago.” The only current UFC fighter from Suriname, Rozenstruik lives in Florida and trains out of American Top Team, and while he intends to continue with ATT, Bigi Boi said he’s taking a trip home where he can recharge and return to his best form. “That’s my real power source. Going back to Suriname, lay down in the river, get my power,” Rozenstruik said. “In Suriname we like to be reconnect with culture. Go into the river, lay grounding with the Earth, stuff like that. I feel like I was losing my power, navigating my true self, which brought me to this higher level. I feel like I need to gain that again. ... Take some rest, get away from everything, go into the jungle, lay down in the river that’s one of the main things. Grounding and connecting with the Earth, that’s one of the main things I used to do. It brings me relaxation, it brings me everything. It makes me relaxed in everything, also in my personal life. I haven’t done it in a while and I feel like my soul is asking for that.” But despite being away from his power source and his middling record in recent years, it hasn’t been all bad for Rozenstruik. Over the past five years, Bigi Boi headlined six UFC cards, more than every current UFC champion besides Jon Jones and Leon Edwards. That’s a pretty big accomplishment for a boy from Paramaribo, and one that Rozenstruik is proud of. “I didn’t know that going into the fight and then while I was at Fight Week media day, everybody started talking about it so I paid a little bit closer attention to that,” Rozenstruik said regarding his headlining numbers. “But I’m happy that the UFC sees the main event caliber in me and they know I can bring the main event action. That’s a plus for me as a person and also as a fighter.” And those pluses will likely keep coming. Rozenstruik has headlined five of his past seven bout and given the promotion’s need for headliners, there’s a good chance his next fight will also be that, which would be more than fine for Rozenstruik as he tries to mount a title run. “For me, I don’t like to call names,” Rozenstruik said. “But everybody that ranks above me, especially guys I haven’t fought yet, make sense for me. For example, I haven’t fought [Serghei] Spivac, Tom [Aspinall], Tai Tuivasa is a good one. There are one or two more up there I haven’t fought. Derrick [Lewis]. All those guys are good fighters and definitely a main event in that one would be amazing.”

Ryan Spann and Bogdan Guskov | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Bogdan Guskov isn’t changing his all-or-nothing style anytime soon. Saturday’s UFC Vegas 91 co-main event saw Guskov add to his impressive collection of knockouts with a second-round hammering of Ryan Spann. The fast-rising light heavyweight has now won back-to-back fights by knockout, and none of his 16 pro victories have gone to the scorecards. Afterward, Guskov told reporters that he expects his fan-friendly style to keep him in the good graces of the UFC matchmakers. “I think maybe the UFC, give me this chance,” Guskov said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference when asked how soon he might fight for a title. “Big appreciate, big opportunity for me. Thank you for [UFC President Dana White], thank you Mick Maynard, thank you. “I try, from my side, I want to show a big show every time. I’m not loving boring fights. No grappling match, no point match. I love blood and the show.” Spann almost didn’t let Guskov show off his exciting style. The first round of their fight saw Spann wrestle Guskov against the fence, nail him with a couple of low blows, and pummel him on the ground with strikes. There almost wasn’t a second round, but Guskov showed enough defense to make it past the five-minute mark. According to “Czarevitch,” his team expected Spann to start strong and then fade. “Before the fight, we have a small plan,” Guskov said. “Give the first round for this guy to work, because in the second round, he seemed a little bit tired and [became] a very simple fighter, and finish him in second round. This [was] my goal, my plan [from] my team.” Spann was No. 14 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings heading into Saturday’s event and Guskov will likely claim a top-15 spot in the UFC’s official rankings when that list is next revised. If that happens, Guskov will be the first fighter from Uzbekistan to have a number next to his name. Along with compatriots Nursulton Ruziboev and Makhmud Muradov, Guskov is part of a trio of talented Uzbek fighters that he believes can convince the UFC to bring a show to their home country. “One day, I hope the UFC comes to Tashkent, from Uzbekistan,” Guskov said. “Really, I want to fight [there]. We have three fighters from Uzbekistan and maybe we make a good show. Because from Uzbekistan, a lot of fans, and very strong fans, I love them. I want to give a show live, not only TV, because a lot of guys watch TV [in another time zone]. It’s very late now [in Uzbekistan], but a lot of people watching me. If we open my social media now, oy oy oy.”

Bryan Barberena | Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Bryan Barberena is stepping away from the octagon for now. The 30-fight veteran announced on social media that he has fought out his contract with the UFC and not been re-signed. See Barberena’s statement below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bryan “BAM BAM” Barberena (@bryan_barberena) It’s been a hell of a ride! My contract has ended with the UFC and I have not been resigned. In the meantime I’ll be enjoying my family, farming, and drinking some Ridge Rum. A lot of opportunity out there to let the hands fly and hurt some feelings, so we will see where the Bam Bam Nation rises next. Thank you to the Bam Bam Nation, the fans, and those who enjoyed watching my fights. Thank you to the UFC, It’s been a blast. In the statement, Barberena said he plans to take some time to enjoy life and that he is grateful for the opportunities afforded to him as a UFC fighter. Barberena also called for an opportunity to face Mike Perry in bare-knuckle boxing following Perry’s 60-second knockout of Thiago Alves at BKFC KnuckleMania 4 on Saturday. Seems to me Perry needs himself a real brawler to brawl with #bkfc ‍♂️— BRYAN BARBERENA (@bryan_barberena) April 28, 2024 Barberena, 34, first fought for the UFC in December 2014. In his debut, he defeated Joe Ellenberger via third-round TKO, and went on to score notable victories over Robbie Lawler, Matt Brown, Sage Northcutt, Warlley Alves, and Jake Ellenberger. The veteran welterweight moved up to 185 pounds for his past two fights, both of which were losses. In 19 UFC appearances, Barberena went 9-10 and won five Fight of the Night bonuses. His overall pro record stands at 18-12.

Paddy Pimblett | Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images Paddy Pimblett is ready to return, and he has plenty of options ahead of him. Two fighters in particular have caught Pimblett’s attention after scoring big victories at UFC 300. Bobby Green won a decision over Jim Miller and then called for a fight with “The Baddy,” then longtime Pimblett rival Renato Moicano did the same after submitting Jalin Turner. Pimblett responded to the callouts in a YouTube video, starting with Green. “As you know, UFC 300, everybody wants a slice of ‘The Baddy,’” Pimblett said. “Bobby Green screamed my name on the mic after it. Didn’t surprise me, know what I mean? He might be ranked, but he’s got no followers and he needs me. Just like everyone else, they want to fight me because they know I’m the boy. Bobby Green’s an option. If Bobby Green wants to fight, I’m there.” Green, a veteran of 49 pro bouts, has won three of his past four fights and currently holds the No. 15 spot in the UFC’s official lightweight rankings. It’s a spot that Pimblett wants, but he has other plans in mind, especially if he can convince Moicano to spend a few months with him filming a season of The Ultimate Fighter. “I’d rather fight my boy, Moicano,” Pimblett said. “Where you at, Renato? I don’t even dislike Renato Moicano. I actually like him. He’s a funny guy. He’s a cool dude. So me and him having a fight would be hilarious. The buildup to that fight would be very, very funny. I think it’d be even funnier if me and him done a season of The Ultimate Fighter. “That’d be six, seven, eight weeks of pure comedy for the fans. So I would — I’d love that, to be honest. And I’d rather go right in at rank 10 rather than beating rank 15. Unsurprisingly, Pimblett is targeting a fight on the upcoming card in Manchester, England, on July 27. The Liverpool native is coming off of a unanimous decision win over Tony Ferguson, a result that improved his UFC record to 5-0. With that legendary name behind him, he’s strictly aiming to move up the ranks now. “But, next for me is someone, obviously, hopefully it’s someone in the top 15,” Pimblett said. “I don’t want to fight down. I want to be trying to fight up, I want to try and get ranked.”

Photos by Phil Lambert Thiago Alves has competed in his final fight. Alves headlined BKFC KnuckleMania 4 on Saturday night against Mike Perry in Los Angeles. Perry knocked out Alves in 60 seconds with a brutal left hand. Following the event, Alves was asked what was next. “I’m going back to retirement,” Alves said at the post-fight press conference. “I pretty much was already retired, but didn’t make an announcement [or] anything because I wanted to do one more, and this was it. Unfortunately it didn’t go my way, but I’ve been fighting professionally since I was 15 years old. I took this fight on [an] eight-week notice, and I lost my mother on April 5. So I’ve been through a lot, and I put my family through a lot already. “I’m happy being a coach, living the life that I live, but I got no regrets. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to go out on top when you’re competing at this level, but I’m happy with the man I see in the mirror. And on to the next one, right?” Alves competed in the BKFC ring for the third and final time on Saturday. The former BKFC 185-pound champion was not able to continue after the knockdown, with the referee ultimately stopping the bout. Alves reacted to the stoppage with the media. “I got dropped, and I was getting up and then the referee was looking at me and told me, ‘Take a few steps,’ and I did, and I guess he didn’t like what he saw,” Alves explained. “I figured I would go out on my shield, but that wasn’t the case today.” The 40-year-old ends his career with a 23-15 pro MMA record, including a 15-12 record in the UFC, which featured a championship bout against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 100. After leaving the UFC, Alves transitioned more into a coaching role at American Top Team, but picked up a pair of wins in the BKFC ring, winning a decision against Julian Lane and finishing Uly Diaz to win BKFC gold at BKFC 18 in June 2021. Now that his career is over, Alves said he accomplished everything he’s ever wanted to, and will leave the competition side of combat sports with his head held high. “I’m just thankful,” Alves said. “I came here when I was 19 years old, had $40 to my name, I spoke no English, and was just a little kid from Brazil with a dream to become one of the best fighters in the world,” Alves said. “I think I was able to do that. I became a world champion in one of the most savage sports, badass sports out there [in] bare-knuckle boxing, and I’m just thankful to be able to provide a good life for my family, be able to leave this business in perfect health, and yeah, man, I’m just thankful to be here.”