“RIP”: Coach Loses Cancer Battle as UFC Community Joins Heavyweight Star in Mourning

For a fighter, a coach is everything—a mentor, teacher, parent figure, and friend. Essentially, a coach is like family for a fighter, providing direction and instilling purpose; seeing what the fighters themselves can’t see, and above all, building the skill sets and necessary game plans to succeed in competition. So when a coach passes on, the fighter loses an important lifeline. The Surinamese former UFC heavyweight sensation Jairzinho Rozenstruik recently experienced immense loss when his longtime coach, Michael Babb, passed away.

‘Bigi Boy’ was 17 years old when he first met his coach and started training under him. Since 2005, he and Michael Babb had been inseparable—their relationship remained intact for two decades until Babb’s passing. It was Babb who scouted the Surinamese fighter and took him under his wing after recognizing the potential that Jairzinho Rozenstruik had.

‘Bigi Boy’, while sharing the sad news, reminisced about his time with Michael Babb and how he helped him grow not only as a fighter but also as a human being. “One of the strongest person I knew. Thank you for everything. Rest in peace [Michael Babb]. Legend,” Jairzinho Rozenstruik wrote on Instagram. It’s important to note that his coach has already been dealing with medical issues since last year. The fighter had mentioned this issue on social media, highlighting that Babb was battling cancer.

However, there was a financial struggle while dealing with his coach’s illness, leading many of Babb’s fighters to open a GoFundMe page for him. “One of the most influential teachers in my life, Michael Babb, is fighting cancer. He has always been a source of strength and wisdom, and now he needs our support. Please consider donating to help with his medical treatment. Every bit helps in this battle,” Rozenstruik wrote last October. Unfortunately, Rozenstruik’s coach succumbed to his illness, leaving his fighters with fond memories.

Meanwhile, ‘Bigi Boy’ may be the most famous name Bab has trained; he’s not the only fighter to train under him. The Netherlands-based coach has also coached Isis Verbeek, who competed in Dana White‘s Contender Series in 2023. However, she could not get herself signed to a UFC contract as she lost. Nevertheless, both fighters continued training under Michael Babb, who left a great legacy and marked his place as one of Europe’s best MMA coaches. On that note, many fighters chimed in on Rozenstruik’s social media post to react to the news.

UFC pros and fans share their condolences for Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s loss

Michael Babb appears to have gained the respect of many UFC fighters, especially those from Europe. Fighters like Marvin Vettori, Molly McCann, and Marina Rodriguez prayed for Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s coach, with UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard sharing his condolences as well. Veteran bantamweight fighter Pedro Munhoz also got into the mix with the message: “My condolences, my brother.”

As we all know, Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s coach is based in the Netherlands, and as such, many Dutch fans joined him in mourning Michael Babb’s passing. As fans talked about his coach’s personality, claiming, “RIP Mike was such a great guy,” and, “Sorry. He was a great coach and greater man,” others empathized with ‘Bigi Boy’ and the position he’s in right now after losing his longtime coach. “Omg!!! Im so sorry for your loss! Ay he rest in peace. My condolences.”

Also, Michael Babb left a lasting good impression on the people he worked with. As such, one fan claimed to have been on his payroll before, and commented, ”
OMG! My thoughts with his family & you. He was always a pleasure to work with.” Meanwhile, the support for Jairzinho Rozenstruik kept coming as an Instagram user commented, “You guys were close. I’m so sorry.” The majority of the fans seem to understand the kind of bond he had with his coach.

It remains to be seen what losing his coach means to Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s MMA career. Is he going to continue with another coach, or is he going to call it a career? While we speculate on his next move, let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.

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