UFC middleweight contender Gregory Rodrigues overcame one of the nastiest gashes you’ll ever see to earn one of his signature victories.
Gregory Rodrigues will face former UFC title challenger Jared Cannonier in the UFC Vegas 102 main event this Saturday. But his path to a UFC main event was anything but easy, as he overcame numerous obstacles to cement himself as a legitimate 185lb contender.
Rodrigues appears in peak shape ahead of his first-career UFC main event slot this weekend. A win over a proven contender in Cannonier could catapult Rodrigues into the middleweight title discussion.
One of Rodrigues’ biggest wins came against streaking contender Chidi Njokuani at UFC Vegas 60. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rodrigues and Njokuani treated UFC fans to a wild slugfest, with Rodrigues suffering a nasty gash in between his eyes that could’ve potentially forced doctors to stop the fight.
But despite having blood leaking from his head after one round, Rodrigues rallied in Round 2 to finish Njokuani and stop the talented striker’s rise in the division.
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Gregory Rodrigues vs. Chidi Njokuani was a ‘Fight of the Year’ contender
Rodrigues ate a big knee from Njokuani just seconds into the fight, opening the gash on his head. Despite suffering a knee that would’ve likely collapsed most contenders, Rodrigues continued fighting, initiating a clinch and stuffing Njokuani’s advances.
Njokuani managed to land some heavy body shots to slow down Rodrigues’ pace and pressure. But Rodrigues pressed forward, living up to his pre-fight promise to ‘take Njokuani with him’ into the deep waters, regardless of how the fight resulted.
Rodrigues dropped Njokuani with a series of blistering right hands just past the midway point of Round 1. It was a massive turning point after Njokuani appeared on the cusp of earning a wild finish.
In between rounds, doctors struggled to stop the bleeding from Rodrigues’ gash, and the talented Brazilian opted to keep fighting despite the laceration. His patience paid off as he collapsed Njokuani in Round 2 and finished the fight with ground-and-pound.
The fight was a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate in 2022, and put Rodrigues firmly on the middleweight map. Meanwhile, Njokuani’s defeat kicked off a three-fight losing streak, which he ended last year.
Jared Cannonier hinted Gregory Rodrigues fight could be his ‘last shot’ in the UFC
Cannonier hasn’t ruled out potentially retiring with a loss this weekend to Rodrigues. After turning 40, the multiple division vet is potentially on his last ride towards a possible middleweight title shot after falling to Israel Adesanya for the belt at UFC 276.
Cannonier fought at heavyweight and light heavyweight before eventually making the full-time move to middleweight for the remainder of his career. Since making the full-time transition in 2018, Cannonier has earned wins over the likes of Anderson Silva, Derek Brunson, Kelvin Gastelum, and Sean Strickland.
If this is Cannonier’s last ride, he’ll look to cap off a legendary career with another high-octane performance. For Rodrigues, he’s looking to use Cannonier’s name to catapult him into the title mix.