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Francis Ngannou wasn’t clued in on who Jairzinho Rozenstruik is when offered the UFC 249 bout.
Tonight (May 9), Ngannou and Rozenstruik will collide on the main card of UFC 249. The action is set to take place inside the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. There will be no fans in attendance.
Ngannou Didn’t Know Who Rozenstruik Was
Speaking to UFC.com, Ngannou admitted that he was surprised to be offered a fight with Rozenstruik as he didn’t know who he was.
“I heard somebody was calling me out and I’m like, ‘Who is that?’” said Ngannou. “I thought it was gonna be some guy I knew, but he was a new guy.
“The only thing I know about Jairzinho is that he’s the fighter who is probably the first guy who really called me out,” he said. “This guy came from nowhere; he has no name. I guess that’s why he called me out, to elevate his status. But I guess this won’t be a good idea for him. But I know I have to take him serious, and that’s what matters to me.”
Ngannou is hoping to extend his winning streak to four. He has defeated Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, and Curtis Blaydes in his current streak. All three bouts ended in the first round via knockout or TKO.
Rozenstruik is coming off the biggest win of his pro MMA career. He stopped Alistair Overeem with just seconds left on the clock. Rozenstruik appeared to be on his way to a unanimous decision loss.
MMA News is providing live coverage of UFC 249. Join us for live results, highlights, the post-fight press conference, and other tidbits.