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Jairzinho Rozenstruik has revealed which fighter he views as the "baddest man on the planet." It's a term that's been used to refer to the best heavyweight MMA fighter, generally the UFC heavyweight champion.
MMA legend Jon Jones happens to be the reigning UFC heavyweight champion. 'Bones' is a former UFC light heavyweight champion who recently returned after a three-year hiatus, made his heavyweight debut, and won the UFC heavyweight title by beating Ciryl Gane with a first-round submission.
Meanwhile, Francis Ngannou was the reigning UFC heavyweight champion at the time of his split from the promotion. While 'The Predator' didn't lose his title inside the octagon, he couldn't reach an agreement with the UFC.
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Hence, Francis Ngannou was stripped of the title and released from the UFC in January 2023. He's consistently maintained that he wants the freedom to compete in boxing, better pay for fellow UFC fighters as well as other perks such as health benefits, etc. for them. Ngannou has claimed that the UFC didn't agree to his demands, which is what led to his departure.
Jon Jones subsequently faced former interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane for the vacant UFC heavyweight title earlier this month (March 2023) and won.
During a recent interview with The Schmo, Jairzinho Rozenstruik was questioned about whether he views 'Bones' or former opponent Ngannou as the "baddest man on the planet."
'Bigi Boy' replied by picking Jones and said:
"I mean, the 'baddest man' has the strap on his waist, and that's Jon Jones. As long as you don't have the strap on your waist, we don't talk about you anymore. 'Cause who got the strap? That's the person we chase."
Jairzinho Rozenstruik on Jon Jones' spectacular victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285
Presently, Jairzinho Rozenstruik is booked to fight Jailton Almeida at UFC Fight Night 224 on May 13. Meanwhile, reigning UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is likely to face former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 290 on July 8. Rozenstruik, for his part, has lately been lobbying to compete as often as possible and earn a title shot.
The Schmo notably asked Jairzinho Rozenstruik about Jon Jones' dominant win against Ciryl Gane. 'Bigi Boy' replied by indicating that Jones' entry into the division has made it even more intriguing:
"It's interesting. There's a whole; there's a different drive right now in the UFC heavyweight division. And for me, it's giving me a better vision. And it looks good for me. So, I'm ready to climb back the ladder and see who I'm facing for the strap."
Watch Rozenstruik's assessment at 0:57 in the video below:
