UFC Vegas 20: Ciryl Gane vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Ready for Gane vs. Rozenstruik Free UFC Vegas 20 Free Picks and betting odds & predictions? Here is a full breakdown of the leadup, what to expect during the fight, and some logical outcomes.
Event: UFC Vegas 20
Date: February 27th, 2021
Time: Main Card: 8 P.M. EST.
Location: UFC Apex
Broadcast: ESPN+
Main Event: Ciryl Gane vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Ciryl Gane finds himself in his first UFC main event slot after rattling off four wins since his promotional debut in 2019. He most recently won on the main card of UFC 256 against former champion Junior dos Santos. In the closing moments of that fight, he gave us a glimpse of what his striking arsenal truly does entail. He landed a heavy low kick, powerful jab, and a collapsing elbow.
As for Jairzinho Rozenstruik, his rise to stardom was quickly halted by former and future title challenger Francis Ngannou after a 20 second onslaught. He rebounded nicely against who other than Junior dos Santos, which is his most recent fight and win.
As for the fight, it reminds me a lot of last weekend’s main event. Rozenstruik is the more powerful of the two, similar to Derrick Lewis. Gane has the better ground game and is more well rounded, similar to Curtis Blaydes. That is not to say this will end the same as it’s predecessor, but it is worth noting.
The outcome of this fight heavily depends on where the fight takes place. If Gane attempts and succeeds at taking this fight to the ground, he has the distinct advantage there. However, if Gane attempts to stay in the pocket and strike with Rozenstruik without at least fainting a clinch or takedown, there is more than a great chance this fight ends with Roz as the victor.
I expect Gane to try and fight a tight fight by clinching and at the very least, attempting early takedowns. His main point in film is probably to disable Rozenstruik’s distance striking and his distinct reach advantage should aid the dictation of that.
Looking at the odds, Gane is being sold at a 3:1 favorite on some sites. If we have not learned already, heavyweight fights are impossibly unpredictable and a steep favorite makes the solution to that sentiment all the more difficult. I believe Gane will actually hold the UFC heavyweight strap within 6 years or so, but anything more than a -230, maybe -240 favorite is far too juiced for someone who made their pro debut less than three years ago.
So, depending on the odds, I will take Gane and will be more comfortable about it if the odds begin to move in the way of the underdog.