Saturday’s UFC Vegas 102 main event went down exactly as advertised.
Fight fans had a good idea of what they were in store for as middleweights Jared Cannonier and Gregory Rodrigues collided atop the Fight Night event at the UFC Apex, and they got just that. A hard-hitting, back-and-forth thriller that saw both men do damage. Yet while many had picked “Robocop” Rodrigues to jump into the top 15 of the weight class, Saturday was not his night.
Instead, it was Cannonier, known as the “Killa Gorilla,” proving his killer instincts had not waned. Enduring a tough first round that saw Rodrigues come out of the gate hot, Cannonier slowly took over the fight, leading to a knockdown in the third round that saw the 40-year old former title challenger nearly put his opponent away. Miracuously, Rodrigues survived, saved by the bell— though not for long. Less than 30 seconds into the fourth round, Cannonier had the TKO finish, set up by some smart work to the body.
The back-and-forth nature of the bout earned it Fight of the Night honors, which came as little surprise to fans and media outlets in attendance, including Cageside Press. Performance of the Night bonuses, meanwhile, went to Edmen Shahbazyan and Gabriel Bonfim. Shahbazyan, another middleweight talent, put away Dennis Budka with a crisp right hand on the main card, while Brazil’s Bonfim, whose brother suffered defeat later in the night, choked out Khaos Williams in a welterweight prelim.
All four bonus winners at UFC Vegas 102 pocket $50,000 for their efforts, in addition to show/win money and outfitting pay.
