Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Alistair Overeem ahead on all of the judges’ scorecards before he was stopped by Jairzinho Rozenstruik with four seconds left in the fight.
UFC veteran Alistair Overeem was dead set on getting back on track to possible title contention. On Saturday, he faced late replacement Jairzinho Rozenstruik to headline the UFC’s event in the United States capital of Washington, DC.
“The Demolition Man” showed a different side of his game during the opening rounds, utilizing more of his wrestling and grappling. But as the fight wore on, he was absorbing more and more punches to he head and body from the undefeated “Bigi Boy.”
Nonetheless, Overeem apparently remained ahead in the judges’ scorecards as he entered the fifth round. Unfortunately for him, he was caught by a last-minute right hand that not only sent him to the canvas and ended the fight, but split his lip open, as well.
As seen on the scorecards below, he was up 40-36, 39-37, and 39-37 before referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in to stop the fight at 4:56 of round five.
Alistair Overeem was up 40-36 and 39-37 (x2) before losing to Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the final seconds of R5. #UFCDC pic.twitter.com/GcA4EsYf5i
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) December 8, 2019
The loss snaps Overeem’s two-fight streak, as he now holds a record of 45-18 (1 NC). Rozenstruik, meanwhile, keeps an unblemished record of 10-0. All four of his UFC wins ended by knockout and TKO.