Pavlovich Beats Rozenstruik by Decision in Riyadh
Jairzinho Rozenstruik entered 2025 looking for another statement after a two-fight winning run. His planned heavyweight matchup with Sergei Pavlovich was presented as a test of power and a chance to build on a strong 2024. The fight happened on February 1 in Riyadh, but the result went the other way: Pavlovich won a unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 30–27.
A strong 2024 set up the bout
Rozenstruik’s year began with a main-event win over Shamil Gaziev on March 2. Gaziev’s corner stopped the contest after the fourth round, giving Rozenstruik a technical knockout at 5:00. He returned in August against Tai Tuivasa and earned a split decision in Perth. The scorecards reflected a close fight: two judges favored Rozenstruik 29–28 and 30–27, while the third scored it 30–27 for Tuivasa. Those back-to-back wins made the Pavlovich booking an important opportunity to extend his momentum against a highly regarded heavyweight.
Pavlovich controlled the Riyadh matchup
In the pre-fight interview, Rozenstruik discussed Pavlovich’s punching power and stressed that the Russian still had to land cleanly. The prediction was not that the danger had disappeared; rather, Rozenstruik framed distance, timing and composure as ways to manage it. The bout itself offered fewer exchanges than many fans expected. Pavlovich used pressure and top control to limit Rozenstruik’s offense, while Rozenstruik struggled to create sustained momentum from the bottom.
Official scorecards show Pavlovich winning every round on all three judges’ cards, 30–27. That made it a clear unanimous decision rather than the competitive striking showcase some expected from two heavyweights with knockout records. Pavlovich rebounded from consecutive losses to Tom Aspinall and Alexander Volkov; Rozenstruik’s winning streak ended at two. The outcome also closed his run with the promotion. Reports in early February confirmed he had been released shortly after the Riyadh loss.
The clash also produced a sharp contrast between what made each man dangerous and how the fight played out. Rozenstruik’s 2024 momentum came through a late-round stoppage and a close decision, showing patience and durability as well as power. Pavlovich, known for fast finishes, instead banked rounds with positioning. The result turned on control and scoring rather than a dramatic exchange or a single knockout blow.
A new combat-sports chapter
Rozenstruik returned to competition in Mike Perry’s Dirty Boxing Championship. He made his promotional debut against Victor Cardoso in June 2025 and won by technical knockout in the second round. Three months later, he fought Rakim Cleveland for the inaugural heavyweight title at DBX 3 in Miami. Rozenstruik stopped Cleveland with punches at 1:54 of round one, becoming the promotion’s first heavyweight champion. The win shifted the focus from the Pavlovich setback to a new ruleset where his kickboxing background and heavy hands remained central.
That later success does not change what the original interview captured: before the Riyadh fight, Rozenstruik believed he could manage Pavlovich’s power and build on two wins. Pavlovich’s control and the unanimous scorecards showed how the matchup actually unfolded. Rozenstruik then found a route back to a championship in a different combat sport, earning the inaugural Dirty Boxing heavyweight belt in August 2025.
Sources: official fight-week profile; official Pavlovich–Rozenstruik scorecards; official Gaziev scorecards and result; official Tuivasa scorecards; DBX 3 result.
Sources
Tags: Boxing, Combat Sports
