Jairzinho Rozenstruik releases statement after scary KO loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 249

UFC heavyweight contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik released a statement following his scary KO loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 249.

In a highly-anticipated battle between two of the top heavyweights on the UFC roster, Ngannou was able to blitz Rozenstruik early on, needing just 20 seconds to put his lights out. It was the first loss of Rozenstruik’s MMA career and is happened in devastating fashion and Ngannou knocked him out cold with one of his trademark power punches.

Rozenstruik was down on the mat for several minutes following the knockout and needed to be helped out of the cage. Thankfully, it appears as though the Surname native is ok. Writing on his Twitter after the event, Rozenstruik assured his fans that he is fine, and he congratulated his opponent Ngannou on his flawless victory.

I'm okay! Big up to @Francis_Ngannou for taking the fight. Respect. 💪🏿🇸🇷❤️ @ufc @michaelbabb01 #UFC249 #Suriname

— Jairzinho 'BIGI BOY' Rozenstruik (@JairRozenstruik) May 10, 2020

I’m okay! Big up to @Francis_Ngannou for taking the fight. Respect. Red heart @ufc @michaelbabb01 #UFC249 #Suriname

Thankfully it appears as though Rozenstruik is healthy following the brutal KO loss. After winning the first nine fights of his MMA career, including four fights in the UFC, Rozenstruik called out Ngannou for the biggest fight of his career. Despite being in line for a title shot at heavyweight, Ngannou took the fight and had one of the cleanest performances of his career and he finished Rozenstruik very quickly.

The loss for Rozenstruik will hurt him in the standings, at least temporarily. After knocking out Alistair Overeem in devastating fashion in his last fight, Rozenstruik has crept into the top-10 rankings in the heavyweight division. This loss to Ngannou shouldn’t hurt him too much as his opponent was much higher ranked, but there’s no doubt Rozenstruik will have to win his next fight if he wants to remain in the title picture in a competitive division.

What is next for Jairzinho Rozenstruik?