Photo | Junior dos Santos is shredded for upcoming UFC 252 fight with Jairzinho Rozenstruik

Perennial heavyweight contenders Junior dos Santos and Jairzinho Rozenstruik are set to collide at this month’s UFC 252 pay-per-view event.

Dos Santos (21-7 MMA), the former UFC heavyweight champion, will enter the contest on a two-fight skid, this after being stopped by top heavyweight contenders Curtis Blaydes and Francis Ngannou in his most recent Octagon appearances.

Prior to the setbacks, Junior dos Santos had put together a three-straight win streak, which included victories over former World Series of Fighting heavyweight champ Blagoy Ivanov, Australia’s Tai Tuivasa, and fan favorite Derrick Lewis.

The former champion, ‘JDS’, appears to be in phenomenal shape ahead of his pivotal matchup with Rozenstruik. Check out the photo of Dos Santos alongside Walt Harris courtesy of Daru Strong below:

Another session down for the heavyweights @BigPrettyMMA & @junior_cigano it’s never a dull moment with #cigano around🤦‍♂️😂@DaruStrong_PC pic.twitter.com/C0ClQHqzvU

— Phil Daru (@DaruStrong) July 31, 2020

Meanwhile, Jairzinho Rozenstruik will enter his UFC 252 bout with Junior Dos Santos looking to rebound from the first loss of his professional career. That defeat came at the hands of top heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou, who stopped the Suriname native in just 20-seconds at UFC 249.

Prior to that loss, Rozenstruik was coming off victories over former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem and former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski.

UFC 252 is set to take place on August 15 and is headlined by a trilogy bout between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier for the promotions coveted heavyweight title.

The winner of Junior Dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik will position themselves nicely for a top contenders bout. With that said, the Brazilian has recently flirted with the idea of a future move to light heavyweight for a potential bout with Jon Jones.

“My main curiosity of one day making 205 is not about how I would feel at that weight, but to be able to face the man that is the greatest of the moment, Jon Jones,” Dos Santos said. “Who wouldn’t like to fight Jon Jones one day? I’m no different. One of the goals before I end my career would be to fight Jon Jones. But that’s part of the plans, our wishes, my dreams, so let’s see how things play out.”

Who are you picking to emerge victorious when Junior Dos Santos and Jairzinho Rozenstruik throw down at UFC 252 in two weeks? Share your thoughts in the comments section PENN Nation!

on August 1, 2020