Gregory Rodrigues was stopped by Jared Cannonier in his first UFC main event after struggling with post-weigh cut recovery, and despite the loss, he expressed gratitude for the experience and vowed to improve for future fights.
Gregory Rodrigues faced a tough challenge in his first UFC main event against veteran Jared Cannonier this past Saturday in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, and his post-weigh cut recovery was less than ideal.
In the opening round at UFC Vegas 102, “Robocop” showed promise by dropping Cannonier multiple times within the first five minutes. Yet, the momentum shifted. Cannonier came back strong, landing a brutal elbow that sent Rodrigues to the canvas in the third round’s closing moments and sealed the deal just 21 seconds into the fourth.
Rodrigues, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on Monday, took to social media to reflect on his defeat. He mentioned “several issues” that arose before the fight.
“It’s my birthday today,” Rodrigues shared, acknowledging the tough battle he faced. Despite the setback, he’s thankful for God’s blessings and the chance to compete with a top contender like Cannonier. The fight taught him valuable lessons, revealing areas for improvement. Winning Fight of the Night felt like a reward for two warriors unafraid to clash.
Interestingly, Rodrigues revealed he struggled with serious recovery issues after his weight cut. His body just wasn’t cooperating. “I keep wondering how things would’ve played out if I had been at 100%,” he mused. But no sad tales here! Robocop is determined to recharge and come back stronger.
This loss snapped Rodrigues’ three-fight winning streak, bringing his UFC record to 7-3 since joining in 2021. Notably, five of those victories came by stoppage.
Meanwhile, Cannonier bounced back into the win column after consecutive losses to Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho.