UFC contender who was surprisingly cut from roster reveals 'dirty' way he was released by the promotion

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UFC contender who was surprisingly cut from roster reveals 'dirty' way he was released by the promotion

Jairzinho Rozenstruik opens up about his shock UFC release.

A UFC contender who was surprisingly cut from the roster has revealed the 'dirty' way he was released by the promotion.

The UFC have parted ways with several high-profile names recently, including perennial heavyweight contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

After making his Octagon debut in February 2019, Rozenstruik went onto become a mainstay of the UFC heavyweight division.

He beat the likes of Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos and Tai Tuivasa before being let go following his defeat to Sergei Pavlovich.

The 37-year-old, nicknamed 'Bigi Boy', suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Pavlovich in Saudi Arabia last February.

Days after snapping his two-fight winning streak, the UFC released Rozenstruik in a shock call.

He had won two fights in a row before being let go by the MMA leaders.

The decision shocked fans and critics alike, not to mention the fighter himself.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik during his bout against Sergei Pavlovich. Image: Getty
Jairzinho Rozenstruik during his bout against Sergei Pavlovich. Image: Getty

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Rozenstruik opened up on his UFC departure, claiming the way he was released was 'dirty'.

He said his UFC release was on the internet before he knew about it.

"I had a good run with the UFC, and the UFC wasn't bad to me. The way they cut me was dirty, but as I say, if there's no need for each other together anymore, then we gotta move on, but I can't say anything bad [about] the UFC," he told Ariel Helwani.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik has joined Dirty Boxing Championship following his UFC release. Image: Getty
Jairzinho Rozenstruik has joined Dirty Boxing Championship following his UFC release. Image: Getty

The Surinamese fighter added: "I flew down from Saudi Arabia, it's a long trip. Came home tired. I went to bed. It was a big time difference, so I was sleeping during the day, and I got several phone calls. So, it was on the internet before I knew it."

Rozenstruik has since signed with Mike Perry's Dirty Boxing Championship and will headline their second event, which goes down on June 14 in Miami.

He faces Devon Schwan in the main-event of Dirty Boxing Championship 2

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: UFC, Dana White