Shamil Gaziev Promises Disheartening UFC Fight Night 238 Defeat Won’t Break Him

Shamil Gaziev’s first career defeat was a harsh dose of reality.

After relying on his grappling to win the opening round of the UFC Fight Night 238 headliner against Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Gaziev faded badly from that point forward. For the next three rounds. his wrestling was denied and absorbed multiple jabs from his opponent, an assault which led to the bout being waved off by referee Marc Goddard before the fifth round.

While it appeared that Gaziev’s resolve weakened over the course of the bout, he released a post-fight statement on social media vowing to get better.

“First of all, congratulations [Jairzinho Rozenstruik]. Good job today,” Gaziev wrote on X. “Got eye and nose damage in [the second round] and couldn’t follow [the] fight plan. If anyone thinks it will break me, I will disappoint you. I’m going to return [to the] gym in the coming days, and I promise my fans to get better.”

First of all congratulations @JairRozenstruik,good job today.
Got eye and nose damage in 2nd round and couldn’t follow fight plan.
If anyone thinks it will break me, I will disappoint you,I’m going to return gym in the coming days and I promise my fans to get better.

— Shamil Gaziev (@GazievMMA) March 3, 2024

The 34-year-old Gaziev began his professional tenue with 12 consecutive triumphs. He earned a UFC deal with a first-round submission of Greg Velasco on Dana White's Contender Series in September 2023, and he continued that momentum by halting Martin Buday’s 12-fight winning streak in his Octagon debut at UFC 296. As a result, he entered the matchup with Rozenstruik as the betting favorite before his opponent imposed his will down the stretch