Ngannou Trashes Rozenstruik, Cejudo Beats Cruz and Retires

Francis Ngannou and Henry Cejudo shocked the fans last night. Ngannou with the way he won, and Cejudo with his retirement announcement.

The UFC 249 met the expectations, as we saw one fantastic event, filled with numerous interesting situations. Not only did Justin Gaethje stun the entire world with defeating Tony Ferguson, but the two other big fights had their share of sensationalism also.

Ngannou Devastates Rozenstruik

Francis Ngannou annihilated Jairzinho Rozenstruik after 20 seconds, sending the Bigi Boy to the la-la land following a barrage of punches. Rozenstruik had 10 consecutive wins so far, nine of them via KO, but it seems that he is still not up to competing with the top fighters of the heavyweight division.

“When I heard he called me out, I knew that he didn’t know what he’s doing. He has a lot of potential, but I think he has to take a step back and then get ready before fighting against someone like me,” the Predator explained after the fight.

Calling out Francis Ngannou is probably a bad idea. #UFC249 https://t.co/P49DrwH8rh

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) May 10, 2020

Rozenstruik opened the fight with a few mild leg kicks, but as soon as Ngannou rushed him, one of the punches landed on his face, and the undefeated fighter from Surinam was knocked out cold. It was another display of Predator’s devastating punching power. It is safe to say that he has the hardest hit in the UFC.

What is next now for him is a clash Stipe Miocic and the second shot at the heavyweight title. After losing to the American at the UFC 220, Ngannou was pushing hard for another match against Miocic. That wasn’t possible because the champ already had arrangements with Daniel Cormier, and the French-Cameroonian fighter had to wait.

Rozenstruik now has to get back to work after this loss. A 20-second knockout suffered is a bitter pill to swallow, and he needs to gain more experience before entering another contest with one of the big dogs.

Cejudo’s Goodbye With Style

Triple C finished his career last night, sealing it with a TKO win against the former champion Dominick Cruz. Cejudo (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) put his bantamweight belt on the line, but defended it for the first and the only time. He announced a retirement from the professional sports during the post-match interview in the octagon. It was something that pretty much shocked the fans all around the world.

“I’m happy with my career,” Cejudo said. “I’ve done enough in the sport. I want to walk away and enjoy myself. I’m 33 years old. I have a girl now, watching me from back home. Since I was 11, I’ve sacrificed my life to get to where I was tonight. I’m retiring tonight.”

He would avoid one punch, before sending a strong knee directly to Cruz’s head. After that, the former champ fell to the ground and wasn’t able to defend himself, receiving 11 unanswered strikes.

Henry Cejudo finishes Dominick Cruz in the second round and retires on top.

Dude, what a interesting career enjoyed the fights Cringe King. 🤴🏻@HenryCejudo 🔥🔥🔥#UFC249

https://t.co/1GRBDJmarJ

— WhatsUpMMA (@WhatsUp_MMA) May 10, 2020

Cruz wasn’t very pleased with the fact that the referee stopped the fight, and was questioning that decision, claiming that he would have got away from the nasty situation.

“That was an early stoppage, 100 percent – I’m positive of it,” Cruz said.

The legend of the bantamweight division came back into the octagon after almost four years, and he went against the guy who is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC. But even so, he put a good performance, and if weren’t for his misjudgment after which he received a knee hit, things could have been different.

Cejudo is out now, going away as the two-weight champion. We still don’t know what will happen with Cruz, and is he willing to come back inside the octagon. If he stays, it would be a big plus for the fans and the overall popularity of the division.