UFC Vegas 102 arrives on Saturday in Las Vegas with a middleweight main event that could help introduce a new contender in the division.
Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues has already become a fan-favorite in the promotion thanks to heavy hands and a fun nickname (both “Robocop” and “Robo-bama,” the latter a nod to his physical resemblance to Barack Obama). Looking to break into the rankings, he’s been paired up with Jared Cannonier, a former title challenger who at 40 had lost two straight, but was still holding onto the #7 spot in the rankings.
A similar situation was found in the UFC Vegas 102 co-main event, where Youssef Zalal was looking to break into the top 15 against the #10-ranked Calvin Kattar. Katter was coming in off a three-fight skid that included dropping a decision to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 300 last April.
Kattar, once looked at as a contender at 145lbs, was admittedly looking to prove he still belonged among the division’s elite. Zalal, on his second stint with the promotion, was looking to ride a six-fight win streak (with three wins under the UFC banner) into the rankings for the first time in his career.
Our picks are in for UFC Vegas 102 — and we have a clean sweep for the main event, with all writers responding seeing Gregory Rodrigues coming out on top.
| Writer / Fight | Vieira vs. Petroski | Bonfim vs. Sadykhov | Shahbazyan vs. Budka | Kattar vs. Zalal | Cannonier vs. Rodrigues |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eddie Law (13-6) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Alex Behunin (13-6) |  |  | | | |
| Jay Anderson (12-7) | | | |  | |
| Chris Prawdzik (11-8) | | | | | |
| Brett Cagle (11-8) | | | | | |
| Mathis Desjardin (10-9) | | | | | |
| Patrick McCorry (9-10) | | | | | |
Outside of Rodrigues, Edmen Shahbazyan was also a unanimous selection among our crew. Youssef Zalal gets a slight edge over Calbin Kattar, with the remaining main card fights similarly close.
