UFC on ESPN: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai Preview

Some of the top heavyweights in the UFC will be on display in this week’s promotion. The main event will see Jairzinho Rozenstruik take on Augusto Sakai, and the co-main event has Marcin Tybura squaring off against Walt Harris. All four fighters are currently ranked in the top 12 in the heavyweight division, and they would all love a shot at current champion Francis Ngannou.

UFC on ESPN: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai is going to be held at the UFC Apex Training Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, June 5, 2021. The preliminary bouts will start at 4 p.m. ET with the main card slated to get underway at 7 p.m. ET. The entire event will only be available through ESPN+.

UFC on ESPN: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai Betting Odds

Augusto Sakai -101

Jairzinho Rozenstruik -119

It was only last year that Jairzinho Rozenstruik was seen as the future of the heavyweight division. Rozenstruik started his career with ten straight victories, and he won his first four fights in the UFC. Quick knockouts of Junior Albini, Andrei Arlovski, and Allen Crowder had many fearing his power, and he passed the test against Alistair Overeem in December 2019.

Everything came crashing down when he was knocked out within the first 20 seconds by a flurry of punches from Francis Ngannou in Jacksonville last May. Rozenstruik beat Junior dos Santos in his next bout, but he lost a unanimous decision to Ciryl Gane in late February.

While Rozenstruik is not as overpowering as we once believed, he has the edge over Augusto Sakai here. While Sakai is a little more seasoned, he hasn’t been as active as Rozenstruik in recent years. Additionally, Sakai was only able to win a split decision against Arlovski and suffered a TKO at the hands of Overeem in his last fight.

Walt Harris +150

Marcin Tybura -170

This is not a good matchup for Walt Harris. We’ve seen him struggle against technical fighters like Fabricio Werdum and Alistair Overeem. All 13 of Harris’ wins have come by first- or second-round knockout, and he doesn’t have the stamina or the grappling ability to beat Marcin Tybura provided Tybura doesn’t try to stand and trade.

Tybura’s last loss was to Augusto Sakai almost two years ago. He has won four straight fights since tasting defeat, and he looked strong in wins against Ben Rothwell and Greg Hardy over the last nine months. This line should be closer to -200, so lay the chalk with Tybura.

Roman Dolidze -135

Laureano Staropoli +115

Both Romano Dolidze and Laureano Staropoli are in prove it mode ahead of this bout. Dolidze was 8-0 as an MMA fighter before suffering a unanimous decision loss to Trevin Giles in March. He had to settle for a split decision win over John Allan in December too, so there is much to determine with his future in the UFC.

As for Staropoli, he has lost his last two fights after beating Thiago Alves at UFC 237. Both of those defeats came by unanimous decision, as he has yet to showcase any power in the UFC. That makes Dolidze a slight favorite in the oddsmakers’ eyes, but this is close to a 50-50 fight and the value is in Staropoli.Follow our Twitter account for the latest sports news and wagering odds, and come to our Instagram for more useful betting info too