RIO DE JANEIRO — Jairzinho Rozenstruik is quickly moving up the ladder in the UFC heavyweight division and could easily be the next man in line for a shot at the belt if victorious against Francis Ngannou in the main event of UFC on ESPN 8.
What many people don’t know is that the Surinamese fighter was named after a Brazilian soccer legend, 1970 FIFA World Cup winner Jairzinho, considered one of the best soccer players of all times that played alongside icons like Pelé and Garrincha.
Once a skillful right winger with more than 200 goals and many championships to his credit, including the silver boot at the 1970 World Cup, the retired player sat down with MMA Fighting to watch Rozenstruik fight for the first time, and predict a bright future for the undefeated heavyweight.
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