UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier earned a hard-fought victory over Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Vegas 102. Despite being dropped twice in the first round, Cannonier rallied and ultimately finished Rodrigues with a flurry of punches just 21 seconds into the penultimate round.
Cannonier’s victory was a testament to his ability to overcome adversity. He was dropped twice by Rodrigues’ heavy-handed striking, but he managed to weather the storm and regroup before resuming his attack in the second round.
The turning point came at the end of the third round when Cannonier landed a powerful short elbow that sent Rodrigues crashing to the canvas. Although the fight wasn’t over yet, Cannonier was confident that he had won it and even admitted that he thought the bell had rung out of the round, allowing him to finish the fight.
In his post-fight interview, Cannonier praised his team at The MMA Lab, including teammate Jose Delgado, who also emerged victorious in their own bout earlier in the night. Cannonier said that he and Delgado had discussed sharing a fight card one day, which has now come to fruition.
With this win, Cannonier snaps a two-fight skid following back-to-back losses to rival contenders Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho. The victory cements his status as a top contender in the middleweight division, and he will likely be looking for a title shot soon.
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mma/ufc-vegas-102-jared-cannonier-recaps-comeback-win-2031898