UFC Fight Night 251 Odds, Prediction: Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues
Both these fighters are at a crossroads in their respective careers, with Jared Cannonier looking to halt a two-fight losing skid and Gregory Rodrigues aiming for a fourth straight win.
Rodrigues is a -235 favourite on the MMA odds, while Cannonier is a +190 underdog.
Jared Cannonier UFC Fight Night 251 Odds
Cannonier has been a staple within the top-10 of UFC middleweights, but there are fears the division has caught up to the soon-to-be 41-year-old. The “Killa Gorilla” fell out of title contention last year, losing by fourth-round TKO against Nassourdine Imavov in June and unanimous decision against Caio Borralho in August.
While Cannonier couldn’t cut it as a heavyweight or light heavyweight, the fact he competed in those divisions points to his sizeable weight advantage over Rodrigues. Cannonier typically walks around roughly 20 pounds heavier than Rodrigues and he also holds a 2.5-inch reach advantage.
Cannonier has always been known as a brawler and I wouldn’t expect him to deviate from that strategy on Saturday. Unfortunately it’s been a losing game plan in recent bouts. Cannonier has lost three of his last five fights, all main event five-round bouts, so I have real doubts about whether he still has the ability to go shot-for-shot in the later rounds against opponents 10 years younger.
Gregory Rodrigues UFC Fight Night 251 Odds
Rodrigues earned a main event fight thanks to knockout victories over Denis Tiuliulin and Brad Tavares and a unanimous decision victory against Christian Leroy Duncan. Beating a big name like Cannonier should be enough to get “Robocop” into the middleweight rankings and provide a path to a title shot.
Rodrigues is more than capable as a grappler, but he’s also dangerous standing and trading, collecting 10 career wins via knockout. The concern is that he tends to forget about defence when he marches forward and that’s a recipe for disaster against a fighter like Cannonier, who has made a career out of knockout out unsuspecting opponents.
You have to give Rodrigues the edge in this fight. He can trade blows with the best of them, but he’s also a very adept wrestler if things head to the mat. I still have concern over his defence, but he’s proven capable of mounting comebacks if he falls behind early.