Gregory Rodrigues could find himself among the middleweight division’s top 10 if successful in his next assignment.
Rodrigues is expected to headline UFC’s February 15th card against Jared Cannonier, a pairing that was first reported to be in the works last week by Alex Behunin of MMA Mania and has recently been reported to be a signed fight by MMA Junkie as well.
The upcoming matchup, a first-ever five-round booking for Rodrigues since joining the UFC, is expected to go down at the promotion’s APEX venue in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Rodrigues has gained a reputation for his exciting style since making his promotional debut in 2021. Five of his seven wins in the UFC have come via stoppage, including a first-round finish over Denis Tiuliulin last year.
The former LFA champ is coming off a strong 2024, stopping UFC vet Brad Tavares and then beating European stand-out Christian Leroy Duncan on scorecards.
A win next year could catapult an unranked Rodrigues up into the division’s top 10, reaching heights he has yet to see in the division.
The upcoming fight is a crucial one for Cannonier, who has seen his status in the middleweight division slip over the past year.
Back-to-back losses for Cannonier in 2024 pushed him lower in the division’s rankings, bringing a halt to the momentum he had with past wins over Marvin Vettori and ex-champ Sean Strickland.
The winning streak of Cannonier was snapped in a June main event when rising French talent Nassourdine Imavov scored a fourth-round finish with strikes. Cannonier has since disputed the stoppage, considering it an early finish.
Cannonier looked to bounce back from that defeat two months later, facing Caio Borralho in another headliner. However, he suffered a loss once again on that card, not being favored on scorecards after 25 minutes of action.
Looking to stop the bleeding, Cannonier will now try to put on a successful performance against an un-ranked yet dangerous Rodrigues in just a couple of months.
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