Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: UFC, Dana White
Nasir Jabbar
Dana White has brutally cut a fighter following UFC Saudi Arabia and it has come out of nowhere.
UFC returned to Saudi Arabia last weekend for their second show in the Kingdom.
Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov headlined the fight night card in the Middle East.
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And Imavov scored a stunning victory, stopping Adesanya in the second round to secure the biggest win of his MMA career.
Elsewhere on the card, Michael 'Venom' Page outpointed Sharaputdin Magomedov, who suffered the first defeat of his MMA career.
Before Page vs. Magomedov, Sergei Pavlovich beat Jairzinho Rozenstruik by unanimous decision in a lacklustre bout that was slammed by interim UFC champion Tom Aspinall, who hit out at the heavyweight contest.
On social media, he wrote: "These heavyweight fights lately absolutely stink. Let’s get some excitement back and stop holding it up."
The fight clearly didn't impress White, who has since cut Rozenstruik from the UFC roster.
Rozenstruik debuted in the UFC in 2019 when he beat Junior Albini. He recorded three more wins, including big victories over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski and MMA legend Alistair Overeem before running into Francis Ngannou, who inflicted his first UFC defeat.
Rozenstruik has been a mainstay in the UFC heavyweight division and occupied a spot in the official UFC rankings.
The 36-year-old boasts wins over ex-UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos, Augusto Sakai and Chris Daukaus.
He had won two fights in a row, beating Shamil Gaziev and Tai Tuivasa, before losing to Pavlovich.
The Suriname-native also fought the likes of Ciryl Gane, Curtis Blaydes and Alexander Volkov.
Jamal Pogues, who also lost in Saudi Arabia, has been removed from the UFC roster, too.
He lost a split decision to Hamdy Abdelwahab.
MMA reporter Alex Behunin has confirmed Rozenstruik's UFC release.