One Lock for UFC 305

This heavyweight is in dire need of a victory

Tai Tuivasa enters UFC 305 in desperate need of a win.

Riding a four-fight losing streak, Tuivasa (14-7) now operates far outside the title picture–and his future with the UFC is in more jeopardy as the losses accumulate. Fortunately for Tuivasa, he is fighting an opponent he should defeat at UFC 305–Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Rozenstruik (14-5) is evolving into something of a gatekeeper for the division. He has dropped three of his last five, losing to Curtis Blaydes, Alexander Volkov, and Jailton Almeida, who are all a tier above him. Rozenstruik knocked out Chris Daukaus in 2022–his five-fight losing streak remains ongoing–and defeated Shamil Gaziev in March, shattering his undefeated record. But one constant in his career has been inconsistency, as Rozenstruik has not won consecutive fights since 2019.

The odds of this going the distance are about as likely as snowfall later tonight in Vegas. Tuivasa will attack early, and that will dictate the bout. If he misses, he will be in serious danger. But if he lands, then the crowd in Perth will explode and the losing streak will be, at least for now, a distant memory.

My lock for UFC 305? Tuivasa by KO.