Undefeated prospect Jairzinho Rozenstruik learned a valuable lesson on Saturday night; don't call out Francis Ngannou. After calling for "The Predator," Rozenstruik got his chance to prove himself at UFC 249. It took Ngannou just 20 seconds to put his challenger back in his place.
Meeting in the middle of the Octagon, Rozenstruik appeared to have a calculated approach as he landed a couple of leg kicks and fended off some punches. But whatever strategy he may have had entering the fight went right out the window as soon as the punches started flying. Ngannou simply overwhelmed Rozenstruik, charging forward while throwing some serious haymaker bombs. While the first three missed, The Predator managed to land a flush left hand that knocked Rozenstruik immediately out cold. Referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in right away and halted the fight at just the 20-second mark.
Ngannou is now tied for fifth most finishes in UFC heavyweight history with 10. His nine knockouts since 2015 is second in the UFC, trailing only Thiago Santos (10).
With the win, Ngannou moves to 15-3. He has now won his past four fights, with victories over Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, and Curtis Blaydes. As the No. 2-ranked heavyweight, Ngannou has most certainly earned a shot at the title. Unfortunately, the division is kind of on hold until the impending trilogy match between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier takes place. The UFC has not yet announced when the rubber match between these two will take place.
Ngannou previously fought Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title back at UFC 220 in January 2018. He lost by unanimous decision, but he has come a long way since then.