It’s always unfortunate when there’s news about someone’s death in the mixed martial arts fraternity. The community lost yet another personality in coach Michael Babb, who was the longtime coach of former UFC heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik. The veteran coach struggled with cancer for a while before succumbing to the illness. When the word spread about the untimely passing, many UFC fighters paid their respects to Babb, including featherweight fighter Giga Chikadze.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik was the one who broke the news, not too long ago, about his coach’s passing. Moreover, the struggle with cancer was partly contributed to by the lack of funds to cover the medical costs. ‘Bigi Boy’ and many fighters who trained under Babb decided to start a GoFundMe page, but despite that, it seems things did not work out. Giga Chikadze has also lost people in his own family, particularly his mother, to cancer, leading him to become an active donor for cancer treatment.
Currently, Giga Chikadze has his own charity institution, named KO Cancer Foundation, in memory of his mother, Nina Chikadze. The center has helped over a couple of hundred patients, with the UFC featherweight star being its primary donor. After hearing the news about Michael Babb, ‘Ninja’ decided to share a message for the late coach, while sharing a picture reminiscing about his days as a kickboxer who trained under the Surinamese-Dutch veteran.
“Rest in peace, brother! So much history [Michael Babb],” Giga Chikadze wrote on his Instagram story. The Tbilisi native had won many kickboxing titles while training with Michael Babb, among other coaches, during the early and mid-2010s. Hence, the message was coming, as Babb is one of the renowned coaches in European MMA. Chikadze joined the likes of Marvin Vettori and even Molly McCann in mourning his untimely passing.
A post shared by Jairzinho BIGI BOY Rozenstruik (@jairzinho.rozenstruik)
Meanwhile, Jairzinho Rozenstruik was distraught with his longtime coach’s passing. After all, it was Michael Babb who discovered him when he was 17 and took him under his wing after recognizing his potential. But for ‘Bigi Boy’, things were already worse before his coach’s passing, as his professional life took a hit. In fact, just a few months ago, the Surinamese national went from current to a former UFC fighter, as he recently weighed in on it.
Ex-UFC star opens up on UFC release after coach’s passing
Jairzinho Rozenstruik took some time before expressing his views on his UFC release. After Michael Babb’s passing, he happened to spill his guts, and apparently, he had no qualm with the UFC brass for their decision to cut him from the roster. ‘Bigi Boy’ claims that if the promotion does not feel like keeping you on their payroll, there is nothing to get mad about. However, Rozenstruik did claim that the way Dana White and Co. released him was “dirty.”
“I had a good run with the UFC, and they weren’t bad to me. The way they cut me was dirty, but, as I say, if there is no need for each other to work together anymore, then we have to move on,” Jairzinho Rozenstruik told Ariel Helwani. “For me, it was surprisin,g and I really don’t know what the reason was, or what the reason is. So I just move on from what I left there in the UFC, it was a great time and run, and I’m just moving forward.”
Well, Jairzinho Rozenstruik seems to be in good spirits, despite the unfortunate events in the past few months. Without his longtime coach by his side, we’ll have to wait and see how he navigates his post-UFC career. What do you reckon is next for him? Drop your comments below.
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