[ad_1]
\n<\/p>\n
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 14: (L-R) Opponents Jared Cannonier and Gregory Rodrigues of Brazil … [+]<\/span> face off during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino on February 14, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC)<\/span><\/p>\n <\/fbs-accordion>Zuffa LLC<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Tonight, Saturday, February 15, the UFC is at the UFC Apex is Las Vegas for the UFC Vegas 102 fight card. In the main event, former UFC middleweight title challenger Jared Cannonier looks to halt the climb of rising contender Gregory Rodrigues. The UFC Vegas 102 co-main event has a similar feel as veteran featherweight Calvin Kattar meets the surging Youssef Zalal, who is in his second stint with the promotion. Below is some of the important information you need to know about tonight\u2019s UFC Vegas 102 fight card.<\/p>\n LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 14: (L-R) Opponents Jared Cannonier and Gregory Rodrigues of Brazil … [+]<\/span> face off during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino on February 14, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC)<\/span><\/p>\n <\/fbs-accordion>Zuffa LLC<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Jared Cannonier (17-8) looks to avoid the first three-fight losing skid of his MMA career when he meets the rising Gregory Rodrigues at the UFC Apex. Cannonier began his UFC career in January 2015 as a heavyweight. He went 1-1 in the weight division before dropping to light heavyweight in December 2016. After a 2-3 run at 205 pounds, Cannonier made the move to middleweight. He has competed at 185 pounds since November 2018.<\/p>\n In his first six fights at middleweight, Cannonier went 5-1 with four knockout wins and one decision victory. His sole loss was a 2020 decision setback to former UFC champ Robert Whittaker, who was working his way back to a title shot at the time. Cannonier\u2019s UFC 271 knockout win over Derek Brunson earned him his opportunity to unseat then UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya. Adesanya won that July 2022 contest via decision.<\/p>\n Since losing to Adesanya, Cannonier has gone 2-2 with decision wins over Sean Strickland and Marvin Vettori. His two losses have come in his most recent outings, falling to Nassourdine Imavov by knockout<\/a> in June 2024 and losing a decision<\/a> to Caio Borralho in August of last year.<\/p>\n Cannonier is currently the No. 7 ranked fighter in the official UFC middleweight rankings.<\/a><\/p>\n Gregory Rodrigues (16-5) is outside the UFC middleweight top 15. He looks to change that at UFC Vegas 102 when he faces the highly-ranked Jared Cannonier in the main event.<\/p>\n Rodrigues joined the UFC in 2021 after claiming the LFA middleweight title. He opened his UFC run with two wins, but fell to Arman Petrosyan by decision in February 2022. Two more victories followed, but Rodrigues was unable to land a third straight UFC win when Brunno Ferreira knocked him out in January 2023.<\/p>\n Rodrigues bounced back from that knockout loss with three straight wins, knocking out Denis Tiuliulin. Brad Tavares and most recently picking up a decision win<\/a> over Christian Leroy Duncan in June 2024.<\/p>\n Prior to his decision win over Duncan, Rodrigues had not gone the distance in victory since his UFC debut.<\/p>\n When the betting odds opened for the Cannonier vs. Rodrigues matchup, Cannonier was a +150 betting underdog, while Rodrigues came in at -185. As fight night nears, Rodrigues is now a -225 favorite over Cannonier, who checks in at +190.<\/p>\n Most of the bets for the UFC Vegas 102 main event have come in on Cannonier (68 percent), while the majority of the money has been wagered on Rodrigues (75 percent).<\/p>\n Rodrigues has youth on his side in this fight, but he has never faced a ranked UFC fighter before. Meanwhile Cannonier has been in the Octagon with some of the best in the middleweight division. That will make a difference in this fight, as will Rodrigues\u2019 penchant for using his chin as his first line of defense.<\/p>\n There\u2019s always a chance that this is the fight where Cannonier starts to show his age, but the betting pick is for Cannonier to win the UFC Vegas 102 main event via knockout.<\/p>\n LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 14: (L-R) Opponents Calvin Kattar and Youssef Zalal of Morocco face off … [+]<\/span> during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino on February 14, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC)<\/span><\/p>\n <\/fbs-accordion>Zuffa LLC<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Clavin Kattar looks to end the first losing skid of his MMA career tonight at UFC Vegas 102. Kattar, the No. 10 ranked UFC featherweight has lost his past three fights and holds a 1-4 record since he was on the wrong side of a one-sided thrashing by Max Holloway in January 2021.<\/p>\n Kattar wisely took a year off after that loss. He came back in January 2022 to score a decision over Giga Chikadze. Since that win, Kattar has lost to Josh Emmett (decision), Arnold Allen (TKO), and most recently, Aljamain Sterling (decision<\/a>).<\/p>\n Youssef Zalal went 3-3-1 with the UFC between February 2020 and August 2022. His three wins came at the start of his run with the promotion.With an 0-3-1 record, the UFC cut him lose. Upon his release, Zalal signed with Sparta Combat League, where he scored three first-round finishes.<\/p>\n In March 2024, Zalal replaced Gabriel Miranda against Billy Quarantillo. Zalal scored a submission win in that matchup. He added two more submission victories to his UFC resume before the end of the year. Zalal\u2019s most recent win was a \u201cPerformance of the Night\u201d bonus-winning stoppage of Jack Shore.<\/p>\n LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 14: (L-R) Opponents Angela Hill and Ketlen Souza of Brazil face off … [+]<\/span> during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino on February 14, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC)<\/span><\/p>\n <\/fbs-accordion>Zuffa LLC<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Also on the UFC Vegas 102 card, on the prelims, is an important strawweight matchup. In that contest the No. 13 ranked Angela Hill looks to stay in the top 15 when she faces the unranked Ketlen Souza.<\/p>\n Hill is 2-2 in her past four outings. She is coming off a decision loss<\/a> to Tabitha Ricci in August 2024. No woman in UFC history has as many UFC fights on their record as Hill, who steps into the Octagon for the 26th time tonight.<\/p>\nUFC Tonight: UFC Vegas 102 Main Event: Jared Cannonier Vs. Gregory Rodrigues<\/strong><\/h2>\n
UFC Tonight: UFC Vegas 102 Co-Main Event: Calvin Kattar Vs. Youssef Zalal<\/strong><\/h2>\n
UFC Tonight: UFC Vegas 102: Angela Hill Vs. Ketlen Souza<\/strong><\/h2>\n