Junior Dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik Odds & PicksDos Santos odds+120 [BET NOW]Rozenstruik odds-150[BET NOW]Over/Under2.5 (+101/-129) [BET NOW]VenueUFC Apex, Las VegasTimeSaturday at 11 p.m. ETChannelESPN PPV
Odds as of Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET and via DraftKings. Get up to a $1,000 sign-up bonus at DraftKings today or see more offers and reviews for the best online sportsbooks.
With all eyes on the heavyweights Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic for UFC 252s Main Event, two other heavyweights will match up in hopes of pushing up the list of a jumbled weight class.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos will try to reestablish himself in the division he used to own after suffering back-to-back knockout losses. Hell be facing Jairzinho Rozenstruik, the -150 favorite, who soared up the heavyweight ranks before Francis Ngannou viciously knocked him out in UFC 249.
Dos Santos, the +120 underdog, is 36 years old and moving further and further away from his title run in 2013. Tied with Cain Velasquez for second all-time with 10 knockouts as a heavyweight, Dos Santos was stopped early in his past two fights against the aforementioned Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes. However, in his fight prior to that in March 2019, it was Dos Santos who gave Derrick Lewis heavy hands and knocked the contender out in Round 2.
His opponent, Rozenstruik, enjoyed a meteoric rise up the weight class ahead of his fight in May against Ngannou, highlighted by his near buzzer-beating knockout against Alistair Overeem.
Rozenstruik is 4-1 in the UFC with quick work in his three victories before the Overeem classic. There is no denying his knockout power and his finish in the final seconds of a five-round fight at his size is commendable. With a ton of upside, Rozenstruik will try to shake off the nasty KO, and Dos Santos will be a good barometer to see where he stands on the heavyweight totem pole.
Dos Santoss odds closed lower than the opening number in his past two losses and his record as an underdog hasnt been promising. Dos Santos hasnt made it out of the first round in his past three fights as a dog against strong competition in Blaydes, Ngannou and current champ Stipe Miocic in 2017.
Rozenstruik has seen the market move toward him in the past due in large part to his ability to end things quickly in his brief UFC career. That he opened as the favorite against a veteran like Dos Santos is a testament to his recent history before the loss. We could see his odds drop as fight night gets closer later in the week.
From a statistical perspective, Dos Santos throws about one more significant strike per minute than Rozenstruik. However, it is on defense where the former champ sees a difference.
The veteran Dos Santos defends 58% of significant strikes thrown at him while Bigi Boy only avoids 34%. Staying clear of each others knockout power punches is going to be key, and Dos Santos has shown over his lengthy career that he can do it.
Looking at this fight, both men are going to stand and throw looking for a quick finish. Both have fight stopping power and dont do much work on the mat. Rozenstruiks quick start thrust him up the weight class, but it may have been smoke and mirrors.
While he had his hand raised against Overeem, Rozenstruik was likely going to be handed his first loss in the UFC if it wasnt for his last-second knockout. After that, he seemingly bit off more than he can chew against Ngannou and was humbled. Mind you, that fight was in May and this is a very quick turnaround for someone who was knocked out in that fashion.
Cigano is on a cooler, and his best days may be behind him, but his experience may prove to be the difference here. Dos Santos has seen it all in his time in the octagon and Rozenstruik, while possessing serious power, is not a new challenge for him.
Its fair to question Dos Santos chin at this pointafter the two knockouts, but unlike his opponent, he will be the fresher man, having last fought in November.
Looking at the odds, it is fair to question Dos Santos at age 36, but the sample on Rozenstruik is not large enough for me to make him a -150 favorite if he doesnt land in the final seconds against Overeem, where is he in the class?
Early numbers from our SportsInsights tools show that Dos Santos has an edge in terms of the amount of betting tickets being wagered, though Rozenstruik has slight edge in money percentage (55% for Bigi Boy). I make this fight close to a coin flip and recommend taking Dos Santos +120 now and see value in Dos Santos up to -110.
The Pick: Dos Santos +120
[Bet Dos Santos +180 at DraftKings with a 50% profit boost]
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Junior Dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik Odds, Pick & Prediction: The Early Bet to Make for UFC 252 - The Action Network
