MAFB UFC Vegas 87: Rozenstruik officially heavyweight gatekeeper, Mokaev deserves respect not criticism

Elsewhere on the card, Tyson Pedro retired with a whimper as he solely looked to survive against Vitor Petrino – although, the Brazilian can be equally criticised for his potshotting approach during the early rounds. Meanwhile, Muhammad Mokaev and Umar Nurmagomedov continued their unbeaten streak via drab decision victories, with the former at least facing an opponent of some merit.

Jaizinho Rozenstruik accepts gatekeeper duties at UFC Vegas 87

There was once a time when the Suriname kickboxing legend was considered a genuine contender for the UFC heavyweight title. A fifth-round stoppage victory over veteran Alistair Overeem looks like a strong argument on paper, yet those who watched the fight know it was a lucky lip-busting punch that wiped out Rozenstruik’s previous 25 minutes of nothingness. Since that bout in 2019, Bigi Boy has shown the same lack of impetus in the octagon – regardless of the level of competition he faces.

It was criminal of the UFC to put on a headline event between a gutless Rozenstruik and the overwhelming gut of Shamil Gaziev. The Bahrain bar brawler had fought just once in the promotion before being elevated to headline duties, an ugly second-round stoppage over Martin Buday. Anyone with a pair of eyes could see that the 34-year-old was a pocket slugger with little else to offer. Everyone but the UFC match-makers. Watching Rozenstruik paw lazily with single-shots throughout four rounds has not only reduced his role to that of heavyweight gatekeeper, but also swiftly robbed Gaziev of any potential hype.

Muhammad Mokaev deserves respect not criticism

Criticism was to be expected for Muhammad Mokaev after he crawled to a unanimous decision win against Alex Perez in their main card contest. The flyweight prospect has painted a huge target on his back since entering the UFC in 2022, shaking up the roster with regular call-outs and social media beefs. Perez entered the octagon with just one fight in his locker since 2020, a 91-second loss to Alexandre Pantoja. It was expected that veteran had been called in as a fall-guy for Mokaev, providing another step in the prospect’s development.

What transpired was a slow, if somewhat intriguing, chess match. The defining image of the bout was Mokaev routinely squatting to the floor when Perez pressed on the feet. It led to long periods of inactivity as Perez half-heartedly fumbled for a submission while Mokaev bided his time before exploding into a reversal. The 23-year-old prospect may have had some nerves as he waited for the scorecards, but he rightly got the nod in a tight-knit affair.

While the combination of Mokaev’s outspoken nature and questionable performance has fanned the Twitter flames, his performance contained some silver linings. Perez’s lethal leg kicks left an early impression on Mokaev, who took weight off of his jab to prevent major damage to his lead leg. Additionally, Mokaev struggled to work from Perez’s back when the pair were against the cage, but he showed maturity in riding out control time to win over the judges. Best of all, he showcased his freak strength with a suplex that momentarily injected the UFC Apex with a sliver of life.