UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues Fight Card, Predictions, & Odds

An exciting middleweight fight will headline the UFC Fight Night card on Feb. 15 inside the APEX Center in Las Vegas, as No. 7-ranked contender Jared Cannonier takes on surging fighter Gregory Rodrigues.

Cannonier is on a two-fight losing streak, and although he’s the ranked contender heading into the match, he’s still tagged as the betting underdog with +165 UFC odds.

Rodrigues heads into the match as the -200 betting favorite at BetMGM’s online sportsbook because of the impressive three-fight win streak that saw him finish two of his opponents during this stretch.

Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues Odds

• Jared Cannonier: +165
• Gregory Rodrigues: -200

Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues: Prediction

I predict that Rodrigues will win the submission over Cannonier because he has better grappling skills and could exploit the aging Cannonier, who is now 40 years old.

Not to underestimate Cannonier’s ground game, but Rodrigues is just a superior grappler with a solid Brazilian jiu-jitsu background. Rodrigues uses this specialization very well to tire out his opponents and zap their energy in fights.

Once Rodrigues gets hold of his opponents, he doesn’t let go until he finds a finish, either by submission or TKO, via vicious ground-and-pound strikes. Still, I think a submission win is more likely for him in this fight with Cannonier.

Cannonier, on the other hand, excels more in the striking department, where he finished 10 of his opponents by TKO/KO with his powerful punches and kicks. He’s found success in this area, but just like his previous fight with Borralho, I think he’s slowing down at 40.

If this fight had been made two or three years ago, it would have been a different story, but with Cannonier looking like he’s riding off the sunset of his professional career, a win for Rodrigues is expected.

Jared Cannonier Recent Fight Results

Cannonier is a veteran UFC fighter who competed across three weight classes until he found a home in the 185-pound division, where he became a top contender and a former world title challenger.

Since his permanent move in the middleweight division, “The Killa Gorilla” recorded seven wins, beating the likes of Anderson Silva, Jack Hermansson, Kelvin Gastelum, Derek Bruson, Sean Strickland, and Marvin Vettori.

His losses, which include his two previous setbacks, were courtesy of Robert Whittaker, Israel Adesanya, Nassourdine Imavov, and Caio Borralho.

Gregory Rodrigues Recent Fight Results

Rodrigues was a former LFA champion when he was signed by the UFC in 2021. He made his promotional debut against Duško Todorović with a unanimous decision victory. After that successful first fight, he went on to win six of his next eight fights.

The Brazilian MMA star scored victories over JunYong Park, Julian Marquez, Chidi Njokuani, Denis Tiuliulin, Brad Tavares, and, most recently, Christian Leroy Duncan. Rodrigues’ losses were from Armen Petrosyan and Brunno Ferreira.

Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues: Tale of the Tape

Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues Fight Card

• Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues, middleweight fight
• Calvin Kattar vs. Youssef Zalal, featherweight fight
• Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Dylan Budka, middleweight fight
• Ismael Bonfim vs. Nazim Sadykhov, lightweight fight
• Rodolfo Vieira vs. Andre Petroski, middleweight fight
• Connor Matthews vs. Jose Delgado, featherweight fight
• Angela Hill vs. Ketlen Souza, women’s strawweight fight
• Rafael Estevam vs. Jesus Aguilar, flyweight fight
• Gabriel Bonfim vs. Khaos Williams, welterweight fight
• Vince Morales vs. Elijah Smith, bantamweight fight
• Valter Walker vs. Don’Tale Mayes, heavyweight fight
• Julia Avila vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti, women’s bantamweight fight