Jared Cannonier overcame an early setback to defeat Gregory Rodrigues with a fourth-round stoppage in the UFC Vegas 102 main event, showcasing resilience and skill to secure his victory.
Jared Cannonier faced an early scare but roared back to finish Gregory Rodrigues in the UFC Vegas 102 main event. The bout didn’t start well for him; he was planted on the canvas twice in the opening round. Yet, Rodrigues’ initial energy seemed to fade as the fight progressed.
Cannonier, relentless, kept advancing until he scored a knockdown with a brutal elbow strike in the third round. He continued his assault into the fourth. With Rodrigues hurt and backed against the cage, Cannonier unleashed a flurry of punches to both head and body, ending the fight at just 21 seconds into the fourth round. Victory tasted sweet as Cannonier celebrated another main event win.
“I guess I was hurt enough to get dropped on my ass a couple of times,” Cannonier reflected on his rocky start. Rodrigues was swinging hefty shots, but Cannonier weathered the storm and maintained composure. “I’d rather die on my feet than die on my back,” he declared, acknowledging his team’s role in his improvements.
Rodrigues came out firing like a cannon—hard punches and leg kicks flying at Cannonier. Near the two-minute mark of the first round, a massive right hook from Rodrigues floored Cannonier. However, he quickly regained his footing.
Using his size advantage, Rodrigues landed big, looping punches. A slick left tagged Cannonier again, but he survived, hoping Rodrigues would tire out. By the second round, Cannonier began moving forward aggressively as Rodrigues’ output waned.
Momentum shifted when Rodrigues found a second wind and attacked again. But it backfired; Cannonier cracked him with a vicious elbow inside the clinch, dropping him to the canvas. As the third round ended, Rodrigues was visibly wobbled heading back to his corner.
When the fight resumed, Cannonier sensed Rodrigues hadn’t fully recovered. He pressed forward with a barrage of punches that pinned Rodrigues against the cage. Looking for a kill shot, Cannonier delivered a punishing body blow followed by strikes to the head, causing Rodrigues to crumble.
The referee intervened to save Rodrigues from further damage, awarding Cannonier a fourth-round stoppage victory. This win marked a comeback after consecutive losses to Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho.
At 40, Cannonier may be in his career’s twilight years, but he’s still got plenty of fight left. Any 185-pounder willing to trade bombs with him will find that out firsthand—as Rodrigues did on Saturday night.