Cannonier vs Rodrigues Prediction
🔊 Who will claim victory in the main event of UFC Fight Night 251? The culmination of the tournament will be a middleweight bout - Jared Cannonier, ranked 8th in the middleweight division, will face off against Gregory Rodrigues, who is getting a chance to break into the top 15. Will the veteran American be a stepping stone for the Brazilian fighter?
H2H Stats Fights and Previous Results
Jared Cannonier Player Overview
"Killa Gorilla" has been competing professionally since 2011 and joined the UFC in 2015. After 7 years of a fairly successful stint in the world's strongest league, Jared reached a title fight but was unable to defeat a peak Israel Adesanya. Since then, he has fought in the main event four more times. Cannonier defeated Sean Strickland and Marvin Vettori, but couldn't handle the young and hungry opposition. Last year, the American suffered defeats from Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho. He is now almost 41 years old, with a record of 17 wins and 8 losses, so it might be time to consider retirement.
Match Results: Jared Cannonier
Gregory Rodrigues Player Overview
"Robocop" had his first professional fight in 2014, but lost it. However, the Brazilian's career then took off, and he even became a champion in LFA and Smash Global MMA. Rodriguez joined the UFC in 2021, but has not achieved significant success in the world's strongest league. Here, he has 7 wins and 2 losses. It's a decent record, but the native of Porto Velho cannot boast top-tier opposition. Nevertheless, he is only 32 years old, so there is still time for him to climb the rankings, and an excellent opportunity has presented itself. On February 17, Rodriguez will turn 33, and a victory over Cannonier would be a great gift to himself.
Match Results: Gregory Rodrigues
Editorial Prediction
The bookmakers clearly see the Brazilian as the favorite, which is quite understandable. He has a number of advantages: age, size, physical power, and decent Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills. However, there are also some drawbacks. Notably, he lacks experience in 5-round bouts and is somewhat vulnerable. Rodriguez is not known for having an elite chin. However, Cannonier has also declined in this aspect: Imavov finished him early, and Borralho significantly rocked him as well. Considering the above, we believe that betting on the outcome is not the best decision. It makes more sense to bet on the fight not going the distance. We don't think the fighters will reach the final 5-minute round.
