5 fighters to keep an eye on at UFC Fight Night: Alexander Volkov vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik

#2. Jairzinho Rozenstruik – UFC heavyweight contender

Can Jairzinho Rozenstruik land the big shot to knock out Alexander Volkov this weekend?

Jairzinho Rozenstruik is a fascinating fighter overall in that he’s one of the few remaining one-dimensional stars on the UFC roster to find success in the octagon.

Based on what we saw in his bouts with Curtis Blaydes and Alistair Overeem, ‘Bigi Boy’ is painfully out of his depth whenever a fight hits the ground, but his striking is so dangerous that he remains one of the higher-ranked heavyweights on the roster.

Since his debut in 2019, the Suriname native has reeled in six octagon victories; more importantly, every opponent he’s beaten has been left unconscious at his hands. Like a modern-day Mark Hunt, ‘Bigi Boy’ has pinpoint, accurate strikes, a laid-back style in the octagon, and an evident weakness.

This weekend’s fight with Alexander Volkov is huge simply because it could mark a crossroads for him. If he’s tuned up his ground game after his loss to Blaydes, he could well climb back into true contention, but if he hasn’t, he could suffer a second defeat.

That wouldn’t end his UFC career, of course, but it’d definitely pigeonhole him as little more than an exciting action fighter – and he surely has designs on something more than that.

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#1. Movsar Evloev – UFC featherweight contender

Movsar Evloev could become a genuine title contender with a win this weekend

Overall, the fighter most worth watching this weekend is Russian featherweight Movsar Evloev, who faces off against Dan Ige in the event’s co-headliner. More than any other fighter on this card, Evloev has the potential to become a genuine title contender.

Since his octagon debut back in 2019, Evloev has reeled off five wins in a row, with his opponents getting progressively more difficult. Most recently, he picked up an impressive win over Hakeem Dawodu, showing off both his excellent grappling and solid chin.

Sure, the Russian’s style isn’t always the most eye-catching – he tends to spam takedowns until he can ground his opponent and control them on the mat, hence why he hasn’t stopped an opponent in the octagon.

However, there’s no disputing that it’s been effective thus far, and at the end of the day, wins, not an exciting fighting style, can take someone to the top of the UFC’s rankings.

Ige promises to be a tricky opponent for Evloev in that he won’t back down, has more high-end experience, and has even headlined a number of events. However, the Hawaiian is also largely untested on the ground, making this a winnable fight for the Russian.

If Evloev can win this one – particularly if he entertains in doing so – then a new contender might be born, making him the man to keep an eye on at this event.