The Ultimate Fighting Championship is making its return to hometown soil after weeks of international fixtures, with UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues set to play out this Saturday. The much-anticipated main card is slated to kick off at 7 p.m. ET, live from the UFC Apex arena. In the headline clash, middleweight contender Jared Cannonier (17-8), currently 7th in the rankings, will be squaring off against the former LFA champion Gregory Rodrigues (16-5), who despite his unranked status, has recently signed with UFC.
Even as an unranked fighter joining UFC, Rodrigues is emerging as the preferred choice in the latest UFC Fight Night odds, standing at -180 favorite (where you risk $180 to win $100). On the other side of the cage, Cannonier, who has unfortunately experienced consecutive losses in his last two fights, is the +150 underdog, where a bet of $100 could return $150, should he pull off a win.
Also featuring on the night’s card for UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues is a featherweight battle between Calvin Kattar (23-8) and Youssef Zalal (16-5-1). Holding the 10th position in the featherweight rankings is Kattar, who despite his rank, is trying to bounce back from losses in his most recent three fights.
Continuing his winning momentum of six consecutive bouts, Zalal is the preferred pick for UFC bets at -395 favorite. On the other hand, Kattar, still trying to find his rhythm again, comes in at +310, providing an interesting dynamic for this featherweight contest.
A noteworthy middleweight duel is also set to captivate audiences at the UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues. It features Rodolfo Vieira (-218), pitted against Andre Petroski (+180), both renowned grapplers. Predictions have tipped Vieira for a successful fight due to his grappling expertise, but some believe that Petroski’s wrestling skills might come into play as the match progresses.
Both fighters specialize in grappling, but they approach this technique from different perspectives, with Petroski relying more on wrestling and Vieira focusing on submission grappling. These unique styles will certainly add an extra level of excitement to the fight.
Despite Petroski potentially slowing down the pace of the fight and possibly mounting a late comeback, the initial advantage is tipped in Vieira’s favor. His skills in submission grappling might hold the key to giving him the early lead in the contest.
As the predictions suggest, Vieira is favored to gain an early advantage in the bout using his grappling skills. However, the unpredictability of the ring means nothing can be guaranteed, making this a fight not to be missed.