Las Vegas – UFC® returns to UFC APEX with a heavyweight contenders’ bout that will see No. 12 ranked Jairzinho Rozenstruik square off with undefeated Shamil Gaziev. Also, No. 7 ranked flyweight contender Alex Perez battles unbeaten No. 8 Muhammad Mokaev.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: ROZENSTRUIK vs. GAZIEV will take place Saturday, March 2 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The entire card will stream exclusively on ESPN+ in English and Spanish, with the prelims beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT followed by the main card at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.
UFC APEX VIP Experience packages are available via On Location, UFC’s Official VIP Experience Provider. Enjoy exclusive access with an official ticket package that includes premium seating, all-inclusive hospitality, in-seat beverage service, meet-and-greets with UFC Octagon girls and more. Visit UFCVIP.com for more information.
Rozenstruik (13-5, fighting out of Paramaribo, Suriname) looks to kick off his 2024 campaign with another spectacular finish. A hard-hitting kickboxer, he has secured exiting KO wins against legends Junior Dos Santos, Alistair Overeem and Andrei Arlovski. Rozenstruik now aims to defend his spot in the rankings by stopping Gaziev in emphatic fashion.
Gaziev (12-0, fighting out of Kingdom of Bahrain) intends to make the most of his first UFC main event by dispatching Rozenstruik with a dominant performance. A Dana White’s Contender Series signee, he earned a Performance of the Night bonus for his KO win over Martin Buday in December. Gaziev now vies for a thrilling finish to crack the heavyweight Top 15.
Perez (24-7, fighting out of Lemore, Calif.) returns to the Octagon for the first time in almost two years looking for a statement victory. A former UFC title challenger, he holds notable finishes against Jussier Formiga, Jordan Espinosa and Jose Torres. Perez now plans to hand Mokaev his first career loss and prove that he is still one of the best flyweights in the world.
Mokaev (11-0 1NC, fighting out of Manchester, England) hopes to continue his ascent up the 125-pound ladder with an impressive victory. A talented striker and grappler, he has earned memorable submissions over Tim Elliott, Malcolm Gordon and Cody Durden. Mokaev now has his sights set on turning heads with another highlight-reel finish.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- Undefeated Vitor Petrino (10-0, fighting out of Santa Luzia, Minas Gerais, Brazil) locks horns with Tyson Pedro (10-4, fighting out of Sydney, Australia) at light heavyweight
- No. 9 ranked contender Matt Schnell (16-7 1NC, fighting out of Shreveport, La.) meets rising No. 12 Steve Erceg (11-1, Perth, Western Australia) in an exciting flyweight tilt
- Dana White’s Contender Series veterans collide when Josefine Knutsson (7-0, fighting out of Stockholm, Sweden) faces Julia Polastri (12-3, fighting out of Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at strawweight
- Joel Alvarez (20-3, fighting out of Asturias, Spain) takes on Ludovit Klein (20-4-1, fighting out of Nove Zamky, Slovakia) in an intriguing lightweight matchup
- Undefeated No. 13 ranked bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov (16-0, fighting out of Kizilyurt, Russia) faces UFC newcomer Bekzat Almakhan (17-1, fighting out of Uzynagash, Kazakhstan)
- Hard-hitting middleweights battle when Eryk Anders (15-8 1NC, fighting out of Birmingham, Ala.) meets Jamie Pickett (13-10, fighting out of Wilmington, N.C.)
- Christian Leroy Duncan (9-1, fighting out of Gloucester, England) clashes with Claudio Ribeiro (11-4, fighting out of Jundiaí, São Paulo, Brazil) at middleweight
- Mohammad Yahya (12-4, fighting out of Dubai, UAE) and Brendon Marotte (8-2, fighting out of Haverhill, Mass.) both vie for their first UFC victory in a featherweight bout
- Aiemann Zahabi (10-2, fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada) goes for his fourth consecutive win when he takes on undefeated Javid Basharat (14-0 1NC, fighting out of London, England by way of Paktia, Afghanistan) at bantamweight
- Dana White’s Contender Series signee Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (15-3, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) debuts against Loik Radzhabov (17-5-1, fighting out of Dushanbe, Tajikistan) at lightweight
- Vinicius Oliveira (19-3, fighting out of Lomba Do Pinheiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) squares off with Yanis Ghemmouri (12-2, fighting out of Lyon, France) at bantamweight
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