Tomorrow night the UFC returns to the APEX for their 102nd Fight Night and we will see a fun middleweight matchup in the main event. Former title challenger Jared Cannonier (17-8) will look to snap his losing streak as he takes on rising contender Gregory Rodrigues (16-5).
This is an absolutely golden opportunity for Gregory Rodrigues who is not currently ranked. Jared Cannonier is ranked 7th so with one win, Rodrigues could jump straight into the top ten at 185 pounds. He enters the octagon tomorrow night having won three in a row with two TKOs. Overall, he’s 5-1 in his last six fights. While he’s surging, Cannonier is heading in the opposite direction.
After dropping to 185, Jared Cannonier went 5-1 before earning his first title shot. After losing to Israel Adesanya, he bounced back in a big way with wins over Marvin Vettori and future UFC champion Sean Strickland. He looked like he was on the cusp of another title shot. However, a knee injury kept him out of action for a year after the Vettori win.
When he returned, he was stopped by Nassourdine Imavov. After that, he lost a five-round decision to Caio Borralho and now he’s in desperate need of a win to keep himself relevant at middleweight.
UFC Vegas 102 Prediction
Gregory Rodrigues poses some issues for Jared Cannonier given his power and his wrestling. These are things that play really well for him in the matchup tomorrow. However, Jared Cannonier still has a ton of explosion and power of his own which Rodrigues will need to watch out for.
I’m not ready to write Jared Cannonier off just yet. He’s had good moments in both of his last two fights against two men who are likely going to be fighting for a UFC title shot next. Rodrigues has the skills and the momentum, but we haven’t seen him face a top level guy like Jared Cannonier.
Whoever wins will get it done before the final bell and while many are rocking with Rodrigues, I’m going to go with the former title challenger here to bounce back.
Prediction: Jared Cannonier by TKO