‘Super impressive stuff’… Fighters react to Jared Cannonier surviving two knockdowns to stop Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Vegas 102
Jared Cannonier drew rave reviews for his come-from-behind win at UFC Vegas 102.
UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier proved that age is merely a number as he overcame an early barrage to finish Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Vegas 102. The 40-year-old Cannonier showcased elite pace and power to drown Rodrigues in Round 4.
Rodrigues dropped Cannonier twice in the first round and appeared on the cusp of handing Cannonier a devastating loss. But despite suffering heavy damage early on, Cannonier found a rhythm in Round 2, landing the heavier strikes and opening up a nasty gash on Rodrigues’ face.
By the time Round 3 concluded, Rodrigues looked unrecognizable as he communicated with his coaches to prepare for Round 4. But just under a minute into Round 4, Cannonier sealed the win with nasty ground-and-pound to hand Rodrigues his first UFC defeat.
After back-to-back losses entering UFC Vegas 102, some questioned whether or not Cannonier would walk away with a loss to Rodrigues this weekend. But after returning to the win column, Cannonier is back in the middleweight title conversation.
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UFC stars go ballistic after Jared Cannonier rallies for TKO win
Cannonier’s fighting colleagues had a lot to say about his main event win at UFC Vegas 102.
“These are typically the fights where Robocop comes back and wins. Really cool to see Jared Cannonier bounce back this way! Very impressive,” Kelvin Gastelum posted.
“Wow what a comeback he still got it,” UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad said.
“For Cannonier to be able to look that good at 40, and survive that first round. Super impressive stuff. Not slowing down,” former UFC standout Alan Jouban tweeted.
“Give Jared all the bonuses bruh is him,” UFC lightweight Terrance McKinney shared.
“2-0 for 40+!!!” UFC Vegas 102 winner Angela Hill posted.
“Wow, Cannonier steals round 3 with that short elbow and GnP and now seals the deal in round 4 with a TKO stoppage. RoboCop struggles again with efficiency/pacing himself,” UFC legend Kenny Florian said.
“What a great main event! FOTN EASY GJ BOYS,” UFC flyweight Charles Johnson shared.
Cannonier bounced back from consecutive losses to Caio Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov in 2024. He was on the cusp of potentially earning another middleweight title shot before the skid, defeating Marvin Vettori and Sean Strickland in back-to-back outings.
Jared Cannonier is back in the middleweight title discussion after UFC Vegas 102
After finishing Rodrigues, Cannonier is back in the middleweight title mix and will likely get another top name for his next fight. Potential rematches with Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker are on the table after both former titleholders lost their most recent fights.
A rematch with Strickland also potentially makes sense for Cannonier’s next booking. Strickland lost to UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis earlier this month at UFC 312.
Cannonier, a former light heavyweight and heavyweight competitor, is still one of the most dangerous middleweights in the world entering his 40s. After UFC Vegas 102, Cannonier’s age shouldn’t be a big factor in his upcoming fight.
