May 13, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Jairzinho Rozenstruik (red gloves) reacts after a loss to Jailton Almeida (blue gloves) in a heavyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

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Jairzinho Rozenstruik – Cut From The UFC, Now He’s Becoming A Star Somewhere Else!

Most fighters who get released from the UFC end up fighting in smaller organizations for less money and fewer opportunities. This often feels like a career death sentence. But sometimes getting fired turns out to be exactly what a fighter needs to rediscover their passion and find success in unexpected places.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik learned this lesson the hard way when Dana White decided his lackluster performance against Sergei Pavlovich was the final straw. After going 9-6 in the UFC with some impressive knockouts along the way, ‘Bigi Boy’ found himself without a job and facing an uncertain future. The heavyweight division had been his home for years. Suddenly he was looking for a new place to showcase his skills. Little did anyone know that this setback would lead to him becoming a champion in a completely different sport just months later.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s UFC Exit That Nobody Saw Coming

Rozenstruik’s release from the UFC in February 2025 shocked the MMA world. Here was a fighter who had been ranked in the top ten, coming off back to back wins. But his fight with Pavlovich at UFC Saudi Arabia was such a disappointing affair that Dana White couldn’t hide his frustration. Two knockout artists spending three rounds playing it safe and barely engaging was apparently the last thing White wanted to see from his heavyweight contenders.

🚨ROSTER UPDATE🚨

Jairzinho Rozenstruik has been removed from the UFC Roster 😳

Per @UFCRosterWatch pic.twitter.com/slxiEm7EkN
— Kevin (@realkevink) February 3, 2025

The decision seemed harsh at the time. This was considering Rozenstruik’s overall record and the fact that heavyweight is always a thin division. But White has never been shy about cutting fighters who don’t deliver entertaining fights, regardless of their ranking. Rozenstruik suddenly found himself talented but unemployed.There were questions about whether he could still compete at the highest level. The MMA community debated whether the release was justified. But the damage was already done and Rozenstruik needed to figure out his next move quickly.

Dirty Boxing Championship Became A New Stage For Redemption

Instead of wallowing in disappointment or immediately jumping to another MMA promotion, Rozenstruik decided to try something completely different. Dirty Boxing Championship, a relatively new combat sports organization, offered him an opportunity to compete for their inaugural heavyweight title. The format is different from traditional MMA, focusing more on striking in close quarters without the ground game.

JAIRZINHO ROZENSTRUIK WITH THE FIRST ROUND KO AT #DBX3

pic.twitter.com/2oHsIncroA
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 30, 2025

The gamble paid off spectacularly at DBX 3 in Miami. Rozenstruik faced Rakim Cleveland for the first ever Dirty Boxing heavyweight championship. After a slow start, Rozenstruik exploded into action and knocked Cleveland unconscious just under two minutes into the first round. The knockout was vicious and decisive, exactly the kind of finish that had made him famous in the first place. Suddenly, instead of being known as the guy who got cut from the UFC for a boring fight, he was a champion in a new organization!

(Image Credit: Jim Dedmon – Imagn Images)

Dirty Boxing

Jairzinho Rozenstruik

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!