UFC Vegas 102 Analysis & Predictions

UFC Vegas 102: Cannonier vs Rodrigues – 2.15.2025 – Fight Predictions and Analysis

Welcome to our collaborative coverage of UFC Vegas 102: Cannonier vs Rodrigues. This event has a lot of compelling matchups and big stakes at middleweight in the main event. Be sure to check out our full reasoning for every pick as our records will not reflect confidence in each selection. We will be picking every fight, but likely only recommend betting on a select few.

Current Record

• Anthony: 31-18-1 (Last Year 321-191-0, 63%)
• Nick: 28-21-1 (Last Year 316-196-0, 62%)

*Fight odds were last updated from Bet99 on 2-14-2025 at 8pm EST

Preliminary Card- Starts 4:00pm EST

Jacqueline Cavalcanti -700 vs Julia Avila +500

• Anthony: The card today begins at women’s bantamweight with Julia Avila facing Jacqueline Cavalcanti. So far Cavalcanti has really fought well in the UFC and I expect her to realize more success today. Her high volume striking tends to overwhelm opponents in the early going. She should have a clear advantage here facing the veteran Avila who is nine years older. Cavalcanti lands the much more impactful strikes and moves much quicker than Avila. It would not surprise me to see Avila engage in her grappling here although I think she will struggle. The BJJ brown belt tends to do well when fights hit the mat but she does not really have the offensive wrestling to take it there. Cavalcanti is big and she has done excellent when it comes to defending takedowns, she has strong hips. I am expecting this to be an easy win for Cavalcanti in what could be Avila’s last fight. It does not seem wise to bet anyone at -700 in this division. Jacqueline Cavalcanti by Decision
• Nick: Jacqueline Cavalcanti is 8-1 professionally, with three of those six wins coming via KO. She’s an aggressive striker who does a good job closing distance. While she has found a lot of success on the feet, it has to be noted that she’ll be the better grappler in this match-up. Cavalcanti is 3-0 in the UFC, coming off a solid decision win over Nora Cornolle. At 27 years-old, she continues to show improvement every time we see her fight. Julia Avila has been out of action since December of 2023, where she suffered a submission loss to a now retired Miesha Tate. That loss came in her first fight since June of 2021, and there is no denying she’s entering the twilight of her career. During her time away from the cage, she had been nursing several injuries. She also gave birth during her hiatus. At 36 years-old, it is very difficult to know what version of her we’ll see in this match-up. At her best, Avila has shown strong ability in the clinch. She  pushes a serious pace, and she has true finishing ability, with five of her nine professional wins coming inside the distance. She’s not much of a wrestler, but she has dangerous BJJ offensively if she finds herself in top position. While the line here does feel wide, Cavalcanti certainly feels like the rightful favorite. She is the much younger and more athletic fighter in this matchup. Additionally, Avila’s inactivity is cause for major concern. Jacqueline Cavalcanti by Decision

Valter Walker -300 vs Don’Tale Mayes +240

• Anthony: Next is a matchup at heavyweight between Valter Walker and Don’Tale Mayes. I feel good taking Walker here in this spot as the betting favorite. He won by finish in his last fight about five months ago, submitting Justin Tafa with a heel hook. He is dynamic when it comes to his grappling and this matchup with Mayes really favors him stylistically. Mayes is .500 since joining the promotion and just 11-7 overall as a professional. He is fundamentally solid but Mayes lacks power and elite boxing skills. Walker not only does well converting his attempted takedowns but he is also capable of controlling opponents along the octagon side. Mayes has fought similar matchups before, ceding twelve minutes of control time in his last fight against Shamil Gaziev. He ended up losing that fight by decision. I’d think a big and strong heavyweight like Walker will find a way to get Mayes off of his feet. He should comfortably win this fight by scoring takedowns against Mayes. Walker is one of my favorite bets on this fight card. Valter Walker by Decision
• Nick: Valter Walker is the younger brother of popular light heavyweight and roster main-stay, Johnny Walker. He is 12-1 professionally, most recently securing his first UFC win via submission of Junior Tafa. Walker has a massive frame and an 81” reach, but he is primarily a grappler. He finds most of his success working his opponents to the mat and finishing them by ground-and-pound or submission. At 27-years old he’s young for the division, but he’ll need to improve his striking if he has hopes of breaking into the rankings. Don’Tale Mayes is a powerful striker, but he’s sometimes slow and plodding and he often seems to wait for the fight to come to him. He can be explosive once he gets going, but he’s the type of fighter that needs to eat a few shots to wake up and get aggressive. He’s continued to show improvements both in his striking and grappling ability, but there is no denying the fact he’s been dramatically inconsistent at the UFC level. This is a low level heavyweight match-up, which makes it a volatile and difficult fight to call. That being said, I do expect Walker can lean on his grappling as he captures another win. Mayes is wildly inconsistent, and it seems his career has mostly plateaued. Valter Walker by Round Two KO

Elijah Smith -150 vs Vince Morales +125

• Anthony: This should be a fun fight at bantamweight between Elijah Smith and Vince Morales. It is the debut here for Smith who earned a contract last fall on Dana White’s Contender Series. That performance allowed Smith to showcase his striking skills but it also revealed some deficiencies in terms of his cardio. With numerous quick knockouts on his resume it seems Smith really enjoys when his fights end early. Morales can perhaps extend Smith into deep waters here but I think he will have to overcome some early adversity. Smith’s boxing is quick and powerful for 135 pounds. He does well attacking opponents to the head and finding a home for his straight shots. Smith is also confident in his wrestling and likely has the edge here against Morales on the mat. Through nine appearances in the octagon Morales has really not put together a skillset on the ground. He has lost three fights in a row and as these odds close I think there is no reason to risk money betting on him. Morales is also 34 years old where as Smith is just 22. He should be comfortable against this style opponent and debuting at a familiar place in The Apex. Elijah Smith by Decision
• Nick: Elijah Smith will be making his UFC debut here, coming off a Contender Series win over Aaron Tau back in September of 2024. Smith is 7-1 professionally, with four of those wins coming via KO. Primarily a striker, Smith can be explosive out of breaks and he generally does a good job landing power at the end of his combinations. At 22-years old he’s quick and athletic, but he’s still sharpening his skills. Vince Morales is relatively well rounded with seven wins coming by KO and six coming via submission. He can be hittable in exchanges and his takedown defense is mostly mediocre, but he’s dangerous everywhere offensively and his durability allows him to find success in the later rounds in most of his fights. Morales is coming off a hard fought decision loss to a tough out in Taylor Lapilus. This is his second stint in the UFC, and there’s a chance he’s fighting to hold his roster spot in this match-up. Smith is a gifted athlete, but I expect Morales to have technical advantages no matter where this fight goes. He’ll need to stay defensively sound early, but as long as he does I expect he can pull away and start to take over as this fight wears on. I’m seeing value on him as the underdog here. Vince Morales by Decision

Gabriel Bonfim -220 vs Khaos Williams +180

• Anthony: Next is an exciting fight at welterweight between Khaos Williams and Gabriel Bonfim. Both of the Brazilian Bonfim brothers will be competing here at today’s event. I am a bit shocked to see the younger Gabriel here placed on the preliminary card as the promotion once viewed him as the much better prospect. In truth a lot of Bonfim’s wins have come against lackluster competition and William represents a step up in opponent for him. Williams and the Murcielago team have likely been drilling his wrestling in preparation for this fight. I hope three weeks’ notice is enough for Khaos to develop a gameplan to stop these shots. Williams has 80 percent takedown defense overall and generally does not allow his fights to hit the mat. He has nukes in his hands and rides a two-fight win streak into this contest, beating Carlston Harris by knockout last May. Bonfim has 12 professional wins by submission and some high-level transitions on the mat. He hit a textbook Von Flue choke on Dana White’s Contender Series that quickly got the attention of myself and many others. While I have been nothing but impressed by the 27-year-old, we have seen him knocked out before. This will be a one-sided fight one way or the other and I think Williams will connect with his hands. I also favor him a bit if this fight does somehow go the full three round distance. He is one of the few underdogs I will be betting on tonight. Khaos Williams by Round One KO
• Nick: Gabriel Bonfim is an aggressive fighter and a potent finisher no matter where his fights go. Twelve of his sixteen professional wins have come via submission. He’s an explosive striker who sometimes leaves himself there to be countered, but his speed and ability to roll with powerful strikes have him a class ahead on the feet of a majority of this division. His wrestling is decent, but he has outstanding BJJ. He’s a submission over position grappler and it’s very rare he doesn’t aggressively pursue finishes if he can drag his opponent to the mat. Khaos Williams is growing a reputation as a knockout artist, but he has a decent wrestling base which is evident by his success on the regional scene. He’s coming off an impressive KO win over Carlston Harris, he is 15-3 professionally and 6-2 in the UFC. Williams has true KO power, he’s a technical striker both offensively and defensively and he’s going to be the much bigger fighter in this match-up. He can be overly conservative at times as he waits for fights to come to him. However, it is very clear he’s still making improvements from fight-to-fight. He is still just 30-years old. This is a volatile match-up between two aggressive finishers. I slightly prefer the Williams side as value, as we’ve never seen him finished professionally. I expect he can be the more consistent fighter here over the course of three rounds. Khaos Williams by Round Three KO

Rafael Estevam -480 vs Jesus Aguilar +375

• Anthony: This is a fight at flyweight between Rafael Estevam and Jesus Aguilar. Estevam debuted in the promotion a year ago and now makes his sophomore appearance at 12-0. The Brazilian missed weight last time out but there were no issues on the scales Friday. He is big and strong for this weight class, often reliant on his grappling to get the job done. There is a clear path to victory in this fight for Estevam if he elects to wrestle. Aguilar is a talented striker with rather porous takedown defense. Opponents have landed six of ten attempted takedowns throughout his previous four fights. Aguilar’s only defense for the takedown is a nasty guillotine choke. He has pulled off that submission win five times as a professional. I do not expect him to find luck landing that submission against the talented Brazilian here. Estevam should be able to control Aguilar when this fight hits the may and stay out of trouble when it comes to his submissions. It would not surprise me to see Estevam end this fight with a submission of his own. Rafael Estevam by Decision
• Nick: Rafael Estevam is 12-0 professionally with four of those wins coming by KO and three via submission. He’s fought a decent level of competition regionally ,and he fights out of a solid camp in Nova União. He’s coming off an impressive win over Charles Johnson in his UFC debut, and this match-up with Aguilar seems to represent a step back in competition for him here. Estevam has had issues making weight in the past, as recently as May of 2023 when he was forced to pull out of a fight for a botched cut. Estevam is a technically sound striker, but his grappling is where he finds most of his success. He has solid BJJ and takedown ability. His cardio seems to deplete at times, but his grappling ability makes him stand out in a crowded flyweight division. Jesus Aguilar is 11-2 professionally, and he enters this fight on a three fight win-streak. He’s a decent striker and relatively athletic, but his grappling is his greatest strength as seven of his eleven professional wins have come via submission. Aguilar is 3-1 under the UFC banner and he’s already found more success than many thought he would in entering the promotion. Aguilar has proven me wrong before, but this feels like a nightmare matchup for him stylistically. Outside of a ‘hail-mary’ guillotine attempt, I expect Estevam can dominate this fight on the mat for however long it goes. Rafael Estevam by Decision

Ketlen Souza -110 vs Angela Hill -110

• Anthony: The featured prelim is a women’s strawweight contest between Angela Hill and Ketlen Souza. It is good we get to see Souza here tested against a staple of the division. Hill is a very talented athlete who has turned back several rising prospects in a row. Her last fight was a loss against Tabatha Ricci but that was to be expected against such a talented grappler. She will look to defend takedowns again here from Souza who is far less skilled on the mat. Hill is the all-time leader in terms of strawweight wins, significant strikes landed, fight time, clinch strikes and total head strikes. Souza does prefer to strike with her opponents but it will be hard to catch up here in a boxing match. Hill has very fast hands and the ability to apply pressure to her opponents by simply keeping punches constantly in their face. Souza would rather sit down on her punches and land big counters on the feet. I am not sure her rudimentary skillset will be enough to get past Hill. Souza will wail overhands here and perhaps connect, but at strawweight it would surprise me to see Hill get stopped. Over the course of a full fifteen minutes she should be able to separate herself from the Brazilian on the scorecards. She will throw maybe double the punches and a lot more kicks than Souza. I think she squeaks out a split decision win here tonight. Angela Hill by Decision
• Nick: When fighting on the feet, both of these women are high volume strikers. They both like to throw in the clinch, they’re both durable and they’re both capable of carrying a quality pace for fifteen minutes. This fight will mark Angela Hill’s 27th with the UFC. Hill is well-rounded, with a powerful muay thai striking base. She is a competent grappler with decent BJJ, but most of her success has come striking both in the clinch as well as in open space. She’s coming off a narrow decision loss to a tough out in Tabatha Ricci, but she has won three of her last five fights at 40-years old. Ketlen Souza is a former Invicta FC Flyweight Champion. She is 15-4 professionally, with eight of those wins having come via KO. She is coming off a solid submission win over Yazmin Jauregui, improving to 2-1 in the UFC. I expect Souza can keep this close early, but as the fight wears on Hill’s technical advantages should shine through. Hill is the better striker both offensively and this fight should mostly take place on the feet. Angela Hill by Decision

Main Card- Starts 7:00pm EST

Jose Delgado -400 vs Connor Matthews +300

• Anthony: The main card opens with this featherweight fight between Jose Delgado and Connor Matthews. Delgado is yet another athlete set to make his promotional debut here. He earned his contract on Dana White’s Contender Series with a knockout of Ernie Juarez. Delgado is a product of The MMA Lab and I am a fan of his style. He is aggressive when it comes to his boxing and unloading heavy shots in combination. I am sure he is frequently training with that great room of lighter athletes there in Phoenix. He should be comfortable letting his hands go in this spot against Matthews. While Matthews has proven to be a tough out, he is not nearly as technically sound when it comes to his boxing offense. While he can probably extend Delgado a bit here by making this a dog fight I do not think he can stand and eat power shots for long in this matchup. Delgado is explosive and I expect him to find Matthews chin at least once in this scrap. I will look at betting Delgado on the KO prop here today. I really cannot get excited about Matthews with losses on his record against both Dennis Buzukja and Francis Marshall. Jose Delgado by Round Two KO
• Nick: Jose Delgado will be making his UFC debut here, coming off an impressive Knee KO to Ernie Juarez on the Contender Series. Delgado is 26 years-old and 8-1 professionally. He’s well rounded, fighting out of an excellent camp at The MMA Lab in Arizona. Delgado is an explosive striker who fights at a torrid pace. He’s extremely aggressive, which can make him vulnerable to counters. Additionally, his kill-or-be-killed style makes him a risky fighter to back as a favorite if he can’t finish his opponent quickly. He has dangerous BJJ if he finds himself on the mat, but it’s rare we see him aggressively chase takedowns. Connor Matthews is 7-2 professionally and 32-years old. He fights out of a solid camp in New England Cartel under Tyson Chartier. He’s well-rounded offensively, but finds most of his success on the mat as five of his seven professional wins have come via submission. Matthews was handed a KO loss his last time out, which came in his UFC debut against Dennis Buzukja. Matthews held his own early in that fight, but he became extremely vulnerable as his cardio started to fade into the third round. Matthews has decent footwork, but he lacks the power of most UFC level featherweights. While he’s decent everywhere, his defense is questionable on the feet and he lacks any standout offensive skills. Matthews may be the better technical striker in this match-up, but Delgado should more than make up for that with sheer power and aggression. While I don’t like the price, I do expect the newcomer can find another early finish. If he doesn’t things could get dicey. Jose Delgado by Round One KO

Rodolfo Vieira -300 vs Andre Petroski +240

• Anthony: Next is a middleweight fight between Andre Petroski and Rodolfo Vieira. It is an interesting piece of matchmaking with Petroski putting his great wrestling to the test against a high level BJJ blackbelt. Vieira is a legend in the Gi and he has won via submission in all but one of his ten professional wins. The Brazilian is normally very quick to engage in the grappling and forcing scrambles where he can control opponents. He normally wastes no time upon getting top position, advancing and often hunting the arm triangle choke. This submission relies not only on technique but Vieira’s great size and strength. Petroski can probably hold his own here a bit longer than we are expecting. If he can survive the early grappling exchanges with Rodolfo, perhaps Petroski can take over this fight with his wrestling late. However, Petroski rarely does well when fights are competitive and his opponents realize early success. The most likely outcome here is Petroski getting submitted round one. Vieira should win this fight but I do not feel strongly enough to bet him as the favorite. It was easy to put money on Vieira at -120 in his last fight against the striker Armen Petrosyan. I do not see value in betting him today in this particular spot. Rodolfo Vieira by Round One Submission
• Nick: Vieira is one of the most talented BJJ players in the UFC as a decorated Black belt and Five-time BJJ World Champion. He’s a Freestyle Wrestling and a Combat Sambo Master of sport, but he definitely leans on his jiu-jitsu as it’s far and away his greatest strength. Vieira’s striking is far from technical, but he’s a monster physically so he can put power behind his punches and close distance effectively enough to work opponents to the mat. As dangerous as he is, his cardio is a major liability. Andre Petroski is a decorated collegiate level wrestler who mostly leans on his powerful grappling to overwhelm and discourage his opponents. He has shown KO power on the regional scene, but he telegraphs his strikes, which means in most matchups he’s best suited to lean on his grappling ability. He is 6-2 since joining the UFC, coming off back-to-back decision wins over Josh Fremd and Dylan Budka. In spite of his success in the promotion, there is no denying this match-up with Vieira represents a considerable step up for him in terms of level of competition. This should be competitive early, but I see Vieira finishing Petroski as long as he paces himself and manages his gas tank. Petroski can be explosive, but he’s going to be outskilled no matter where this one goes. Rodolfo Vieira by Round Two Submission

Ismael Bonfim -220 vs Nazim Sadykhov +180

• Anthony: This is a bout at lightweight between Nazim Sadykhov and Ismael Bonfim. We should be in for a competitive matchup here with each man likely having his moments. Ismael Bonfim is perhaps more talented than his brother Gabriel but specifically his edge comes when striking. Ismael is not as urgent to bring fights to the mat, he is more confident in his hands than in his jiu jitsu. With his reach and kickboxing skills I expect him to get the better of Sadykhov here on the feet. Bonfim has the more diverse striking skillset and much better tools when his fights are in the clinch. Sadykhov does everything well but he is not overwhelming in terms of his offensive striking. He is a southpaw that has found success in the promotion by relying on his cardio to push opponents late in fights. His wrestling is good but I am doubtful Sadykhov takes down Bonfim. These two are going to spend a large part of this fight on the feet and in the center of the cage trading. Bonfim can likely keep control of distance and maintain space between Sadykhov as he pressures forward. At these odds I probably will not bet Bonfim but he is the rightful favorite no doubt. Ismael Bonfim by Decision
• Nick: Ismael Bonfim is 20-4 professionally, coming off a solid decision win over an established but aging vet in Vinc Pichel. Bonfim is a dangerous and explosive striker that does a good job feinting to lead his opponents into power shots. He has solid BJJ and he’s competent in scrambles, but his hyper aggressive style does occasionally leave him there to be countered. Sadykhov is a dynamic striker on the feet. He has a solid wrestling base and a good understanding of BJJ when his fights hit the mat. Training at an early age, Sadykhov is one of these next generation fighters that has solid ability no matter where his fights go. He trains out of an excellent gym in Longo MMA and he’s the first fighter on the UFC roster to represent Azerbaijan. He’s coming off a draw against a tough out in Viacheslav Borshchev, but he’s been out of action since that fight back in November of 2023. This should be a fun and competitive match-up, which makes it a tough fight to call. I slightly prefer the Bonfim side as the more potent finisher in this match-up with the better technical skills on the feel. Ismael Bonfim by Decision

Edmen Shahbazyan -400 vs Dylan Budka +300

• Anthony: The featured fight comes at middleweight with Dylan Budka set to face Edmen Shahbazyan. This is really a must win for Shahbazyan who should clear an opponent of Budka’s skillset. Budka lost in both of his UFC fights last year. In large part Budka has faced good grapplers but his striking has not been beneficial in keeping him ahead. He is not very aggressive and the punching power does not seem to be there for a middleweight. Shahbazyan is way more technically skilled and his kickboxing will hurt Budka very early here. Deficiencies in terms of Shahbazyan’s cardio and grappling were revealed to the masses long ago. That came back to bite him again in his last fight against Gerald Meerschaert. I trust that Shahbazyan has worked to improve in these areas, but he will likely get submitted if he is taken down again today. With each round starting upright on the feet, Shahbazyan does seem rightfully favored. When striking he will easily land double the output Budka does at maybe three times the speed. I am hopeful that Shahbazyan fights from range here today and connects with some meaningful strikes early. While Budka will probably roll over here I refuse to bet on Shahbazyan as such a big favorite. Edmen Shahbazyan by Round One KO
• Nick: Edmen Shahbazyan is one of the more intriguing up-and-comers at middleweight. He’s only 27, but he’s already shown flashes of elite level striking and a serious ability to finish fights early. While his striking seems to be his greatest strength, Shabazyan also has a Brown Belt in BJJ under Renzo Gracie. He was once considered a future top contender at 185, but he has only won two of his last six fights. Dylan Budka is 7-4 professionally and just 25-years old. He fights out of Demolition Fighting, a small gym in Ohio. Budka is primarily a wrestler. He’s strong for the division, but somewhat slow and plodding when he strikes. He’s coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his professional career, and there’s a chance he’ll be cut from the roster if he suffers another one here. Shahbazyan is certainly the rightful favorite here, but things can get dicey if he doesn’t find an early finish. This is a low confidence play, but I do expect he will. Budka does not appear to be a UFC level fighter. Edmen Shahbazyan by Round One KO

Youssef Zalal -500 vs Calvin Kattar +380

• Anthony: The co-main event is a bout at featherweight between Youssef Zalal and Calvin Kattar. This will be a very fun matchup as Kattar’s classic boxing style will meet the more elusive striking of Zalal. The Moroccan Devil cannot match Kattar in terms of pure punching power. He instead relies on good footwork and lateral movement to confuse opponents and find his entries. Zalal is coming off a great win over Jack Shore his last time out. He enters tonight on a six fight winning streak. His losses have also aged very well, coming up short in decisions against the likes of Ilia Topuria and Sean Woodson. While Zalal is of course confident in his kickboxing abilities, he will be looking to exercise his grappling more here against Kattar. On average he lands 2.34 takedowns each fight, bad news for Kattar who struggles with his defense. Kattar was taken down eight times in his last fight against Aljamain Sterling. He will need to connect with his boxing to make this fight competitive and while the odds seem too wide, Zalal will very likely blanket him. As good as the resurgence has been for Zalal I am still hesitant to bet him here as a sizeable favorite. I think this is a fight either man can win on the judge’s scorecards. I favor Zalal slightly thanks to that fluid striking and the grappling excellence he has displayed. Youssef Zalal by Decision 
• Nick: Youseff Zalal was cut from the UFC back in 2022, but he has since returned to the promotion after securing three wins via finish fighting for Sparta Combat League and returning to the UFC with recent finishes over Billy Quarantillo, Jarno Errens, and most recently Jack Shore. Zalal is well-rounded and dangerous everywhere. He’s made dramatic improvements since his first stint with the promotion as he’s far more aggressive in pursuing a finish. Whether striking or on the mat, he’s been putting out plenty of volume as he generally forces his opponents to fight moving backwards. Calvin Kattar is a high-level boxer, fighting primarily out of a traditional boxing stance. He has excellent footwork and head movement defensively and he works extremely well offensively behind his powerful jab. He’s extremely durable, which was most evident in his loss to Max Holloway where he ate more than 400 significant strikes. He has excellent cardio as well, but he’s been on the decline at 36-years old, coming off three straight losses. The price feels insane here as Kattar has taken on a much higher level of opponent. Still, I see Zalal as the rightful favorite as he’s going to be younger, quicker, and the much better grappler in this matchup. Youssef Zalal by Decision

Gregory Rodrigues -220 vs Jared Cannonier +180

• Anthony: The main event is at middleweight between Gregory Rodrigues and Jared Cannonier. It is a compelling scrap and likely a main event that does not see the judge’s scorecards. Cannonier is Rodrigues’ first elite test but he has checked all of the boxes en route to this booking. His grappling is no joke with elite jiu jitsu and very strong wrestling. Rodrigues has shown no fear when it comes to exchanging punches. It seems like on occasion he will see red and blitz opponents with no regard for what is coming back at him. Cannonier needs to be respected on the feet given his punching power. Rodrigues would be wise to quickly take this fight to the mat to test Cannonier’s grappling skills. While I do think Jared can defend takedowns I think he will struggle here if Rodrigues can time his entries right. It will be very interesting to see how clinch positions play out and if Cannonier can earn any control time of his own here. At 40, I think he could end up on the wrong side of a knockout. Rodrigues seems to has a chin to match Cannonier and enough punching power to really hurt him. He looked much bigger at faceoffs. I have some concerns about betting Cannonier given his age and recent injuries but at these odds I don’t blame anyone for trying. He has never before lost three fights in a row. I think Rodrigues ultimately does what he needs to, trudging through deep waters again and getting this victory. Gregory Rodrigues by Round Three KO
• Nick: Jared Cannonier’s greatest strength is certainly his powerful striking ability. As a former heavyweight, he has true knockout power at 185 pounds. If he can find a shot to land, he’s capable of putting anyone to sleep immediately. He has a decent wrestling base, solid takedown defense, and even as he’s aging he has shown to have solid cardio and durability. However, as talented as he is, he is notably coming off back-to-back losses for the first time since 2018. Gregory Rodrigues has a BJJ black belt, but he’s found most of his success just standing and striking at range. He’s massive for the division, but he carries so much muscle that it seems he fades if his fights get into the later rounds. Rodrigues is extremely dangerous offensively, but he telegraphs many of his strikes which leads him open to be countered in chaotic exchanges. Regardless, he’s a potent finisher with a well-rounded overall game. This is one of the more competitive fights on the card and one I could certainly see going either way. Cannonier is getting up there in age and he recently underwent surgery to repair his ACL. Still, Cannonier is easily Rodrigues’ toughest test to date and he’s going to be the better technical striker in this match-up. This is a low confidence play, but I do expect Cannonier is still a level above Rodrigues here. His recent losses came to two elite prospects, and I’m not confident his opponent in this particular match-up is on that same level. Jared Cannonier by Round Two KO

-Nick Marro

Twitter: @NickMarroDFS

-Anthony Marro

Twitter: @AnthonyMarro_

Photo: UFC.com