UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues Preview

Jared Cannonier fires a head kick at Kelvin Gastelum. Credit: MMA Fighting.

The UFC returns to its headquarters at the APEX this Saturday with an outstanding Fight Night card. There are sure to be highlights created throughout the night, with both the prelims and the main card loaded with outstanding matchups and fantastic fighters. In the co-main event, we’ll see a matchup of talented Featherweights when the surging Youseff Zalal takes on divisional stalwart Calvin Kattar. In the main event, two heavy-handed brawlers will take center stage when the always-dangerous Jared Cannonier faces off against brutally powerful Gregory Rodrigues. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Rodolfo Vieira vs. Andre Petroski

Rodolfo Vieira secures an arm triangle choke on Armen Petrosyan. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Middleweight Bout

Rodolfo Vieira: 10-2-0, 1 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Andre Petroski: 12-4-0, 4 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Vieira has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Cody Brundage (10-6-0), Dustin Stoltzfus (16-6-0), and Armen Petrosyan (9-4-0). He is among the most credentialed Jiu-Jitsu players in MMA and has won gold medals at the ADCC, World Championships, AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro, and more. He’s averaging over four takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and is very explosive, able to land takedowns in open space and along the fence. Vieira has a 100% finish rate, and all of his submission wins have been via choke, making him highly dangerous if he gets a hold of his opponent’s neck. On the feet, he uses basic boxing combinations and stays behind his jab, possessing solid power and typically using his striking to set up his grappling. Training with Team Nogueira, he advances with lightning speed on the ground, has heavy top pressure, and powerful ground and pound. Vieira has shown consistent improvement in his striking and is more willing to engage in striking exchanges, but he is still far more comfortable on the mat.

Andre Petroski attempts to lock up a rear naked choke on Wellington Turman. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Petroski has won three of his last five bouts and has UFC victories coming over Josh Fremd (11-6-0), Gerald Meerschaert (37-18-0), and Wellington Turman (18-8-0). He has a background in collegiate wrestling and is landing, on average, nearly four takedowns per 15 minutes. He has excellent offensive grappling, is able to land takedowns in open space, and often times double legs as his opponent throws strikes. On the ground, Petroski transitions quickly and is always pursuing a finish, whether via submission or ground and pound. Training at Renzo Gracie Philly, he has outstanding submissions, particularly chokes, and will regularly pursue them. He throws every punch with power when he’s on his feet, regularly loading up and firing bombs at his opponent. Petroski heavily favors his left hand and constantly looks to close the distance and unload power punches inside the pocket.

Ismael Bonfim vs. Nazim Sadykhov

Ismael Bonfim uncorks a right hand on Vinc Pichel. Credit: Ag. Fight.

Lightweight Bout

Ismael Bonfim: 20-4-0, 9 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Nazim Sadykhov: 9-1-1, 6 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Bonfim has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Terrance McKinney (16-7-0) and Vinc Pichel (14-4-0). He is an exceptional striker with great technical boxing and fantastic range management. He does an excellent job of varying his shots, attacking the head and body evenly, and constantly pursuing a finish. Bonfim is willing to brawl inside the pocket, has devastating knees, and throws everything in combination. He is extremely explosive and always coming forward, often looking to land countershots. Training at Cerrado MMA, he has great cardio and can throw with power and volume, never gassing himself out or overextending. Bonfim is at his best when dictating the pace and controlling the center of the octagon, searching for counters and fight-ending shots.

Nazim Sadykhov secures a rear naked choke and submits Terrance McKinney. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Sadykhov has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Terrance McKinney (16-7-0) and Evan Elder (9-2-0). He is a well-rounded, heavy-handed scrapper who is dangerous anywhere the fight goes. He has excellent footwork, holding the center of the Octagon while remaining in perpetual motion. Sadykhov remains technical throughout and always pushes a heavy pace, keeping his guard high and punches straight while still throwing with power. Training with Serra-Longo Fight Team, he’s averaging nearly two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and has excellent scrambles and reversals, typically finding himself in top position following grappling exchanges. He can transition very quickly in top position and can find submissions with impressive speed, particularly chokes. Sadykhov has secured half his finishes in round three and can finish a fight at any time, regardless of how late or early on.

Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Dylan Budka

Edmen Shahbazyan unloads ground and pound onto AJ Dobson. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Middleweight Bout

Edmen Shahbazyan: 13-5-0, 11 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Dylan Budka: 7-4-0, 1 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Shahbazyan has won two of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Brad Tavares (20-11-0), Dalcha Lungiambula (11-6-0), and AJ Dobson (7-3-0). He’s a technical kickboxer with significant power and great footwork. He fights behind his jab, favors power to volume, and constantly adds kicks to the end of combinations. He has excellent footwork and distance management and can go in and out of the pocket without absorbing much damage. Shahbazyan has solid offensive grappling, landing, on average, over two takedowns per fifteen minutes, and has brutal ground and pound. Training at Xtreme Couture, he’s always throwing in combination, keeping his opponent on the back foot and seeking a knockout. Eleven of Shahbazyan’s twelve finishes have come in the first round, and he’s at his best early on in the fight.

Dylan Budka fires a right hand at Andre Petroski. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Budka has won two of his last five outings and is looking for his first UFC victory. He’s a powerful wrestler constantly looking to get the fight to the mat. On the feet, he tends to blitz into the pocket with wide, looping hooks, often using his striking to set up his grappling. Budka is a tenacious wrestler, always willing to work for a takedown, whether it’s in open space or along the fence. He’s averaging over two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes in the UFC and has heavy top control, often holding a position and looking for submission openings instead of trying to posture. Training with Demolition Fight Team, he’s also an excellent defensive grappler, possessing outstanding takedown defense and is very strong inside the clinch. Budka pushes a heavy pace throughout the fight, constantly looking to wear down his opponents with his offense.

#10 Calvin Kattar vs. Youssef Zalal

Calvin Kattar lands a brutal left elbow on Josh Emmett. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Featherweight Bout

Calvin Kattar: 23-8-0, 11 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Youssef Zalal: 16-5-1, 4 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Kattar has won one of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #12 ranked Featherweight Giga Chikadze (15-4-0), #12 ranked Featherweight Dan Ige (18-9-0), and Andre Fili (24-11-0). He is a technical, patient boxer who fights behind his jab before letting go of brutal combinations with his hands. He pushes an insane pace, having surpassed 100 significant strikes landed in four of his last six fights, and can easily push that heavy pace over five rounds. Training with the New England Cartel, Kattar does a great job of lulling his opponent in by staying patient and not putting out a ton of offense before letting go of big combinations and darting back out to range. While he won’t typically initiate grappling exchanges, he has shown some solid wrestling abilities and has defended 72% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC. When he finds himself in top position, he has heavy ground and pound and top control. Kattar has proven to be one of the toughest fighters in the UFC, regularly surviving in deep waters, and has a granite chin.

Youssef Zalal lands a brutal, cracking knee on the jaw of Jack Shore. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Zalal is on a six-fight win streak and has UFC victories over Jack Shore (17-3-0), Billy Quarantillo (18-7-0), and Jordan Griffin (18-10-0). Now on his second run in the promotion, He’s a well-rounded fighter with solid wrestling and technical kickboxing. He’s constantly moving, using his footwork to hold the center and keep his opponent on the outside. Zalal has outstanding elbows and knees and won’t get sloppy, never telegraphing attacks. Training at FactoryX Muay Thai, he has excellent wrestling and is averaging over two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes in the UFC. He won’t force anything on the ground, remaining patient and keeping himself in advantageous positions. Zalal has never been finished in his career and is willing to engage the fight anywhere.

#7 Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues

Jared Cannonier stuns Sean Strickland with a stiff right hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Middleweight Bout

Jared Cannonier: 17-8-0, 10 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Gregory Rodrigues: 16-5-0, 10 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Cannonier has won two of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #2 ranked Middleweight Sean Strickland (29-7-0), #8 ranked Middleweight Marvin Vettori (19-7-1), and Jack Hermansson (24-8-0). He has fought at Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight in his promotional tenure and carries that Heavyweight power at 185 pounds. He throws everything with fight-ending intentions, constantly pressuring forward and always willing to eat a shot to land one. Cannonier has excellent footwork and regularly switches stances, typically opening up his combinations with his jab. Training at MMA LAB, Cannonier is fantastic at moving in and out of the pocket and usually won’t stay at range for long, often throwing damaging leg kicks when outside of the pocket. What he lacks in volume, he makes up for in power, and his pace increases as the fight continues. Cannonier is unlikely to take the fight to the mat but can land devastating ground and pound if he gets top position.

Gregory Rodrigues lands a stinging uppercut on Christian Leroy Duncan. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Rodrigues has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Junyong Park (18-6-0), Chidi Njokuani (24-10-0), and Brad Tavares (20-10-0). “Robocop” has one of the best nicknames in MMA and some of the most devastating power in the promotion. He fights with a powerful kickboxing style, is willing to engage both in the pocket and at range, and has quick kicks for someone his size. Training at Kill Cliff FC, Rodrigues has knockout ability at all times and can seemingly find finishes from nowhere. He has excellent range management and movement and can land in the pocket and return to range unscathed. He has solid accuracy and volume to match his power, landing significant strikes with 56% accuracy in his UFC tenure. Rodrigues has an excellent chin and is more than willing to eat a shot to land one, regularly getting drawn into wild brawls.

Best Bets

Edmen Shahbazyan by KO/TKO: A matchup of two fighters at very different points of their UFC careers, this will be a fun one. This fight will be Budka’s third UFC appearance since signing in 2023, while this will be Shahbazyan’s twelfth fight in the promotion since 2018. They also have very different styles, with Budka being primarily a wrestler, constantly charging forward and pursuing takedowns. Shahbazyan, on the other hand, is a slick striker who’s constantly looking to damage his opponent with combinations and powerful kicks. Although both excel at their specialties, Shahbazyan is the more well-rounded of the two and the more experienced fighter. Shahbazyan has successfully defended 65% of takedowns attempted on him and has a solid wrestling background to supplement his outstanding kickboxing. Although Budka pushes a heavy pace, I expect Shahbazyan to deny takedowns early, wear Budka down, and ultimately earn a knockout victory.

Kattar vs. Zalal to Go the Distance: An outstanding matchup of two highly entertaining fighters, there are sure to be highlights in this fight. Both of these fighters are highly experienced and durable, and they have similar height and reach, making this matchup far closer than the betting odds may suggest. Despite recent struggles, Kattar is still one of the toughest, grittiest fighters in the UFC, always leaving everything inside the Octagon. Even with these recent losses, he’s still never been legitimately knocked out, with his one KO loss to Arnold Allen being caused by a knee injury he suffered during the fight. Zalal has been on a tear since re-entering the UFC and has won all his last six fights via finish, with four of them via submission. Despite this finishing streak, only three of those wins came in the UFC, and none against someone as durable as Kattar. I expect plenty of entertaining, exciting, striking exchanges and some close wrestling exchanges, but I anticipate this fight going to the judges’ scorecards.

Cannonier vs. Rodrigues to Not Go the Distance: A somewhat shocking matchup of two exceptionally powerful Middleweights, this is a fantastic way to close out this card. In a combined 46 professional fights, these two have combined for 20 knockout victories and 25 total finish victories. Both are well known for their lethal punching power and brawling tendencies, with either rarely appearing in a boring fight. Rodrigues has only been to a single decision in his last six outings, with all his other five fights ending via knockout. Although Cannonier has gone to multiple decisions recently, he hasn’t been matched up with a true brawler like Rodrigues in some time, often fighting slick, lengthy strikers or dominant grapplers. Both also would benefit massively from a finish victory; Cannonier needs to bounce back from two consecutive hard-fought losses, while Rodrigues is fighting a ranked opponent and main eventing for the first time in the UFC. I expect these two to go toe-to-toe from the opening bell, and with the power these fighters carry, it’s only a matter of time until someone is asleep on the canvas.