UFC Fight Night 207: Volkov vs. Rozenstruik | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Dana Black
- May 22
- 6 min read
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 207: Volkov vs. Rozenstruik took place on June 4, 2022 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas — UFC Vegas 56. The main event was a heavyweight clash between No. 7-ranked Alexander Volkov and No. 8-ranked Jairzinho Rozenstruik, both seeking a bounce-back win after their respective losses earlier in 2022. Volkov had been submitted by Tom Aspinall at FN 204 in London; Rozenstruik was coming off a decision loss to Curtis Blaydes at UFC 266.
Volkov stopped Rozenstruik by TKO at 2:12 of round one to take the bounce-back win. The co-main saw Movsar Evloev remain undefeated with a dominant unanimous decision over Dan Ige, with post-event facts noting his ‘absurd takedown numbers.’ Erin Blanchfield also made an impression on the prelims, and Karolina Kowalkiewicz ended a five-fight losing streak.
Contents
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, June 4, 2022
📍 Venue: UFC Apex, Enterprise, Nevada, USA (UFC Vegas 56)
📺 Broadcast: ESPN+ (UFC on ESPN+ 65)
🏆 Main Event: Alexander Volkov vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik — Heavyweight (5 rounds)
✅ Result: Alexander Volkov def. Jairzinho Rozenstruik via TKO (Punches) (Round 1, 2:12)
⭐ Notable: Both men on bounce-back runs | Evloev’s absurd takedown numbers vs. Ige | Erin Blanchfield’s prelim debut | Kowalkiewicz ends 5-fight losing skid
The Build-Up
The FN 207 main event had a symmetry to it: two ranked heavyweights, both on bounce-back missions after losses, meeting in a striker vs. striker matchup where a single punch could end everything. Volkov had been submitted by Tom Aspinall at FN 204 in London — a devastating experience for a man known primarily as a striker who had not been comfortable on the ground. Rozenstruik had lost a decision to Curtis Blaydes at UFC 266 in September 2021, ending a stretch in which he had been seen as a genuine title contender.
The co-main was Movsar Evloev vs. Dan Ige at featherweight. Evloev was undefeated, and Ige was ranked #10 in the division — a test that would tell the MMA community whether the young Russian could handle a seasoned UFC top-10 opponent.
Main Event: Volkov vs. Rozenstruik
Volkov was sharp from the opening seconds. He landed a series of right hands on Rozenstruik, connecting with accuracy that stunned the Surinamese heavyweight. Rozenstruik, known for his own stopping power, was unable to create enough distance before Volkov followed up with a combination of punches that put him on the canvas. The referee stopped the fight at 2:12 of round one.
The result gave Volkov his bounce-back win — and continued the pattern that had defined his recent career: alternating wins and losses against elite opposition (Overeem win, Gane loss, Tybura win, Aspinall loss, Rozenstruik win). For Rozenstruik, it was a second consecutive loss for the first time in his professional career.
Co-Main & Undercard Highlights
Movsar Evloev dominated Dan Ige over three rounds, winning by unanimous decision (26-30, 27-30, 27-30) in a performance defined by his extraordinary wrestling. Post-event facts called out his ‘absurd takedown numbers’ — the Russian had Ige on the mat for extended periods throughout and controlled the range completely from the clinch. Evloev remained undefeated.
Erin Blanchfield submitted JJ Aldrich with a guillotine choke at 2:38 of round two in a prelim performance that drew immediate attention. Karolina Kowalkiewicz — a former strawweight title challenger — ended her five-fight UFC losing skid with a rear-naked choke finish of Felice Herrig in round two, the first submission win of her UFC career. Karine Silva and Ode’ Osbourne earned the Performance of the Night bonuses.
Full Results
Main Card
Alexander Volkov def. Jairzinho Rozenstruik — TKO (Punches) (Round 1, 2:12) | Both fighters on bounce-back missions
Movsar Evloev def. Dan Ige — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 3, 5:00) | 26-30, 27-30, 27-30 | Absurd takedown numbers | Evloev remains undefeated
Lucas Almeida def. Michael Trizano — KO (Punches) (Round 3, 0:55) — Fight of the Night
Karine Silva def. Poliana Botelho — Submission (D'Arce Choke) (Round 1, 4:55) — Performance of the Night
Ode’ Osbourne def. Zarrukh Adashev — KO (Round 1, 1:01) — Performance of the Night
Preliminary Card
Erin Blanchfield def. JJ Aldrich — Submission (Guillotine Choke) (Round 2, 2:38)
Karolina Kowalkiewicz def. Felice Herrig — Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) (Round 2, 4:01) | First UFC submission win | Ended 5-fight losing skid
Benoit Saint-Denis def. Niklas Stolze — Submission (RNC) (Round 2, 1:32)
Tony Gravely def. Johnny Munoz Jr. — KO (Round 1, 1:08)
Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Andreas Michailidis — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 3) | 30-26, 30-26, 30-27
Jeff Molina def. Zhalgas Zhumagulov; Damon Jackson def. Daniel Argueta; Joe Solecki def. Alex da Silva Coelho (Majority Decision — Coelho deducted point R2 for locking toes in fence) — Further Prelim Results
Bonuses & Awards
🥊 Fight of the Night: Lucas Almeida vs. Michael Trizano ($50,000 each)
🏆 Performance of the Night: Karine Silva ($50,000) — D’Arce Choke of Poliana Botelho R1, 4:55
🏆 Performance of the Night: Ode’ Osbourne ($50,000) — KO of Zarrukh Adashev R1, 1:01
Records & Milestones
🥊 Movsar Evloev’s absurd takedown numbers were highlighted in post-event facts. His control of Ige was so dominant that two judges scored the fight 30-26 — the maximum three rounds to zero — reflecting a near-total shutout against a top-10 opponent.
🥊 Rozenstruik’s loss at FN 207 was his second consecutive UFC defeat — the first back-to-back losses of his professional career. It ended a run in which he had been ranked in the top five of the heavyweight division and considered a legitimate title contender.
🥊 Karolina Kowalkiewicz’s submission win over Felice Herrig was the first submission victory of her UFC career, ending what had been a desperate five-fight losing skid for the former title challenger.
Legacy & Impact
UFC Fight Night 207 is primarily remembered as a solid if unspectacular card that did what it needed to do: established Volkov as a resilient heavyweight contender and showcased Movsar Evloev as a featherweight talent with the grappling to neutralise almost anyone.
In retrospect, two names from FN 207’s prelims carry more historical weight than the main event itself: Erin Blanchfield went on to become one of the top women’s flyweight contenders in the world, and Benoit Saint-Denis emerged as one of the most exciting lightweights on the European circuit.
FAQ
What made the Volkov-Rozenstruik pairing significant?
Both men were ranked heavyweights with genuine top-10 status who had suffered significant losses. The matchup was framed as a fight where one man would get back on track and the other would fall further from the title picture. Volkov’s TKO win was clean and efficient — he was the sharper striker on the night.
What was notable about Evloev’s takedown numbers against Ige?
Movsar Evloev’s takedown accuracy and volume against Ige were described in post-event facts as statistically exceptional. His ability to take Ige down repeatedly — against a fighter with a strong base and striking credentials — demonstrated that his wrestling was at or above the level required to dominate top-10 featherweights.
Who is Erin Blanchfield and what was her FN 207 debut?
Erin Blanchfield is an American women’s flyweight known for her submission grappling. Her guillotine choke finish of JJ Aldrich in round two was clean and technically impressive. She would go on to become one of the most feared submission grapplers in the women’s flyweight division, eventually earning a title shot against Valentina Shevchenko. FN 207 was one of her earliest UFC statements.
Why is Karolina Kowalkiewicz’s win notable?
Karolina Kowalkiewicz had been a top-ranked strawweight who challenged for the UFC title in November 2016, losing to Joanna Jedrzejczyk. After that peak, she had gone on a dismal five-fight losing skid in the UFC. Her submission win over Felice Herrig at FN 207 — the first submission of her UFC career — ended that run and provided a small but significant turnaround moment for the Polish fighter.
What was unusual about the Solecki vs. Coelho result?
Alex da Silva Coelho received a point deduction in round two for repeatedly locking his toes in the fence — an illegal action that gives a fighter an unfair positional advantage. The point deduction contributed to a majority decision result for Solecki rather than what might otherwise have been a closer or reversed outcome. Fence-locking deductions are among the rarer officiating decisions in UFC competition.
References
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