UFC middleweight Gregory Rodrigues blames a botched weight cut for his performance at UFC Vegas 102.
After a quick ascent in the middleweight division, Gregory Rodrigues left the Octagon without getting his hand raised. Days after his loss to Jared Cannonier at UFC Vegas 102, Rodrigues revealed a pre-fight health issue that might’ve impacted his performance.
Rodrigues got off to a fast start against Cannonier in the UFC Vegas 102 headliner. In the opening round, Rodrigues dropped Cannonier twice and appeared on the cusp of earning another wild knockout win.
But Cannonier rallied beginning in Round 2, outpacing Rodrigues and overwhelming him with pressure and heavy striking. After Rodrigues began to fade dramatically in Round 3, Cannonier finished the fight just seconds into the fourth round with brutal ground-and-pound.
It was a disappointing setback for Rodrigues after three straight wins left him knocking on the door of a middleweight ranking. In a recent social media statement, Rodrigues revealed he was battling more than Cannonier during UFC Vegas 102 fight week.
Gregory Rodrigues opens up on what went wrong at UFC Vegas 102
In a recent statement to his social media accounts, Rodrigues addressed his fans for the first time publically since UFC Vegas 102.
“It’s my birthday today, and even though it was a tough day at work, I’m grateful for everything God has done and continues to do in my life! Big thanks to the [UFC] team for the opportunity—I’m truly honored to have shared the Octagon with the #7 in the division,” Rodrigues said. “Cannonier is a highly experienced fighter who taught me a lot in this fight! I saw several details that can be improved—things that will be changed. Winning Fight of the Night was a gift for two warriors who weren’t afraid to go to battle. Most people don’t know this, but I had serious issues on my recovery after weight cut—my body just wasn’t responding. I keep wondering how things would’ve played out if I had been at 100%…
“But no sad stories here—Robocop never dies! Time to recharge, reset the system, and upgrade, ‘cause I’m just getting started!”
Before UFC Vegas 102, Rodrigues earned dominant wins over Denis Tiuliulin, Brad Tavares, and Christian Leroy Duncan. He’s bounced back since a one-punch knockout loss to Brunno Ferreira at UFC 283.
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UFC Hall of Famer blamed Gregory Rodrigues’ efficiency for UFC Vegas 102 loss
After watching Rodrigues’ performance, UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping was critical of the middleweight’s energy efficiency during the fight. Rodrigues got off to a fast start with high volume in the opening round but slowed down dramatically as the fight went on.
As for Cannonier, the 40-year-old hit a new gear after back-to-back losses to Caio Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov. Wins over the likes of Sean Strickland, Marvin Vettori, and Kelvin Gastelum keep Cannonier in the middleweight title mix.
Rodrigues will look to bounce back from UFC Vegas 102 and use the loss to Cannonier as a learning experience. Despite the setback, Rodrigues proved himself to be one of the most exciting fighters in the middleweight division.