'Bigi Boy' baffled by shock UFC Vegas 56 first-round defeat by Alexander Volkov
- Nick Walsh
- 5 June 2022
Jairzinho Rozenstruik said he was 'confused' and 'disappointed' by his first-round defeat to Alexander Volkov in UFC Vegas 56 at Apex on Saturday.
Questions were again raised about Rozenstruik's suspect defence when referee Herb Dean waived the fight off at 2:12 to bring an abrupt and surprise end to his heavyweight clash with Volkov in the main event in Las Vegas.
'Bigi Boy' - aiming to bounce back from his September 2021 defeat by Curtis Blaydes - had wobbled and dropped to one knee having taken a huge right hand from his Russian opponent.
The 34-year-old felt the fight was only just getting going and was shocked when Dean stepped in.
(1/2) Hi everyone. I'm kinda confused on how the fight went and I'm disappointed that it was stopped. It definitly was a troubling situation, but I was far from giving up the fight. Did someone lay flat on the ground with his eyes shut? That's what we call a knockout. #UFCVegas56
— Jairzinho 'BIGI BOY' Rozenstruik (@JairRozenstruik) June 5, 2022
Defeat was heavy hitter Rozenstruik's third from his last four fights, following setbacks against Blaydes and interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane, and represents a downturn in form given that he won his first 10 fights.
(2/2) Alexander and I basically just started exchanging some heavy strikes. The stuff you 'all wanted to see! Big up to @AlexDragoVolkov for taking the fight. I've no noteable damage and I like to fight soon. #UFCVegas56
— Jairzinho 'BIGI BOY' Rozenstruik (@JairRozenstruik) June 5, 2022
'Bigi Boy' now has a 12-4 record while victory for 33-year-old Volkov (45-35-10) came off the back of his first-round submission loss to Tom Aspinall in London in March.
The win thrusts him back in the spotlight given that heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou remains injured and is not expected to return until late in the year.
