Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Augusto Sakai have 21 knockout victories between them. The two heavyweights face off in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 28 fight card.
There are two important factors to watch heading into this fight. The first is the power of Rozenstruik, the second is the output and pace of Sakai.
We know Rozenstruik can end a fight in a moment. “Bigi Boy” has two of the more memorable recent knockout wins in the heavyweight division. In his second outing with the UFC, Rozenstruik stopped Allen Crowder in nine seconds. Then, in 2019, Rozenstruik landed a knockout blow on Alistair Overeem that Brough the contest to a close with four seconds remaining in the fifth and final stanza.
Sakai has power, after all, he is a UFC heavyweight. However, his output is what could win him this fight. Sakai lands an average of 5.32 significant strikes per minute, which puts him among the most productive strikers at heavyweight today. Sakai lands over two strikes per minute more than Rozenstruik.
Rozenstruik opened his MMA career with 10 straight wins. He’s 1-2 in his past three trips to the octagon and coming off a decision loss to Ciryl Gane.
Sakai recently saw a six-fight winning streak ended when Overeem knocked him out 26 seconds into the fifth round of their September scrap.
UFC Vegas 28 takes place Saturday at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire fight card streams on ESPN+.
Take a look at how Rozenstruik and Sakai compare in key statistical categories ahead of their main event matchup.
UFC Vegas 28: Rozenstruik vs Sakai head-to-head
| Stat | Rozenstruik | Sakai |
|---|---|---|
| Stat | Rozenstruik | Sakai |
| Sig. Strikes Landed Per Min. | 3.14 | 5.32 |
| Striking Accuracy | 48% | 48% |
| Strikes Absorbed Per Minute | 3.48 | 4.02 |
| Striking Defense | 39% | 50% |
| Takedown Avg./15 min | 0 | 0.15 |
| Takedown Accuracy | 0% | 50% |
| Takedown Defense | 80% | 66% |
| Submission Average Per 15 min | 0 | 0 |
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