Las Vegas – UFC middleweight Jared Cannonier feels Gregory Rodrigues is an up-and-comer, but he isn’t treating him like one as they get set to headline UFC Vegas 102 on Saturday night.
Cannonier (17-8) gets his third ‘up-and-comer’ in a row coming off two consecutive losses against Caio Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov respectively. Even though Rodrigues isn’t ranked he has all the respect in the world from the #7 ranked Cannonier.
“I think he’s pretty much earned what he’s done. I guess you can consider me the sacrificial lamb in that regard,” Cannonier told reporters on Wednesday.
“This is the name of the game. We fight each other. I try to separate that emotional aspect. This is a business. We’re doing business. My last two fights were of the same essence if you will.”
He’s not wrong. The UFC matching him up against younger fighters making their way through the division in order to test them is the definition of ‘gatekeeper’ even if Cannonier doesn’t like the term.
“Fighting up-and-comers who are, I don’t even want to say it again because I didn’t like the way it sounded, but same situation again,” he said.
“I’m losing the fights against these up-and-comers and opening the door for them. It’s not that I’ve found myself in a gatekeeper sort of position, but kind of smells like it if you’re on the outside.”
Rodrigues presents a favorable matchup in that he’ll be, at least for the most part, willing to stand and trade with Cannonier. A war is expected by many fans and media.
A war is not what Cannonier wants.
“I don’t want to have any wars. I never do. I want to go in there and have a dominant performance,” he said.
“It would look even more dramatic, even more drastic, because he’s so imposing. He’s so much bigger than me. I’m just going in there getting ready to perform against another high-level opponent.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Jared Cannonier above. He takes on Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Vegas 102 on Saturday night.
