This past Saturday in the main event of UFC Vegas 102, we saw a big time matchup in the middleweight division. Former title challenger Jared Cannonier (18-8) was looking to get back on track as he took on surging contender Gregory Rodrigues (16-6).
Entering the bout, Cannonier was a pretty decent betting underdog which I thought was crazy. Yes, Cannonier had lost two in a row and Rodrigues was on a winning streak, but Rodrigues hadn’t fought top level competition. Meanwhile, Cannonier’s two losses were against two guys who will likely be fighting for the middleweight title in the future.
Nevertheless, Cannonier was a betting underdog and Rodrigues showed why so many believed in him during the first round. Rodrigues stormed out of the gate and took the fight to Cannonier. Rodrigues looked big in there and he dropped Cannonier twice in the opening round.
However, he couldn’t finish Cannonier and that became a huge problem. Starting in the second round, it was clear that Rodrigues emptied the tank in the first round. Cannonier really took over the next two rounds and he nearly finished Rodrigues at the end of the third. When the fourth round started, Cannonier marched forward showing no respect and finished the UFC Vegas 102 main event in 21 seconds.
What’s next after UFC Vegas 102?
Yes, it was not an easy fight, but Jared Cannonier showed on Saturday that he’s still a force in the middleweight division. He held onto his top-ten ranking and I’m expecting him to get a solid opponent in the rankings for his next bout. In fact, I don’t think you’ll have to look far to find his next opponent.
This weekend in the co-main event of UFC Seattle, we will see a rematch between Anthony Hernandez and Brendan Allen. Honestly, I think it’s lining up perfectly that the winner of that matchup takes on Jared Cannonier next. Then the winner of that fight could target the top five and title contention.