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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Rodrigues
Laying Out The Lineup For The UFC’s Return Stateside On Saturday
By E. Spencer Kyte, On X: @SpencerKyte
Nestled between last weekend’s pay-per-view in Sydney and next weekend’s return to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest is Saturday’s home game at the UFC APEX.
The card maintains the focus on the middleweight division, as the main card features a trio of matchups in the 185-pound weight class, including the headlining bout between former title challenger and Top 10 fixture Jared Cannonier and streaking Brazilian finisher Gregory Rodrigues.
With a host of promising names and compelling matchups up and down the lineup, this weekend’s event has all the ingredients needed to be an unexpected banger, and we’re here to break it down for you.
Let’s get into it!
Main Event Matchup: Jared Cannonier vs Gregory Rodrigues
Middleweights cross paths in the main event of Saturday’s fight card at the UFC APEX, as Jared Cannonier and Gregory Rodrigues share the Octagon.
A fixture in the Top 10 since transitioning to the division more than six years ago, Cannonier heads into his sixth consecutive main event assignment having dropped consecutive contests. Now, those losses came against surging Fighting Nerd Caio Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov, who finished Israel Adesanya in swift, precise fashion at the start of the month, but the “Level 40” fighter would really benefit from a bounce back effort that quashes any questions about Father Time catching up to him here.
Conversely, “Robocop” touches down for his first main event on a three-fight winning streak, having followed up stoppage wins over Denis Tiuliulin and Brad Tavares with a unanimous decision win over Christian Leroy Duncan at UFC 304 in July. Competing just two days ahead of turning 33, Rodrigues has thrived in the “Second 15” in the 185-pound ranks for the duration of his UFC tenure, and will look to make the most of his first opportunity to break into the rankings in this one.
It’s difficult to forecast how this one plays out in terms of the stylistic matchup, which is a big part of what makes it compelling. As much as Rodrigues likes to stand and trade, he is an excellent wrestler with quality ground-and-pound, though putting Cannonier on the deck is no easy feat. It will be interesting to see who dictates the terms of engagement and if conditioning and main event experience become factors, but regardless of how things shake out, the outcome of this one will be another significant result that helps shape the direction the division takes as we head towards spring.
Additional Main Card Contests
Calvin Kattar vs Youssef Zalal
Saturday’s co-main event is like the junior version of the headlining tilt, as featherweight rankings staple Calvin Kattar takes on ascending prospect Youssef Zalal.
Kattar returns to action for the first time since UFC 300, seeking to halt a three-fight slide and get back to the form that produced quality wins over Dan Ige and Giga Chikadze. The 36-year-old veteran is in a tricky spot, as one of those three losses was hotly debated and another came by way of injury, but with just one win in the last four years and five fights, the time is now for Kattar to affirm his position in the pecking order or be overtaken by the wave of emerging talent rising through the ranks.
There may not be an up-and-coming fighter in the division with more momentum and greater upside than Zalal, who returned to the UFC on short-notice last March and finished the year with three consecutive stoppage wins. The Factory X man has now won six straight overall (all by stoppage) since the end of his first run on the roster, and profiles as an ultra-dangerous dark horse in the 145-pound weight class.
Can Kattar stem the tides and get himself moving in the right direction again or will Zalal continue rolling and collect the biggest victory of his career this weekend?
Edmen Shahbazyan vs Dylan Budka
It’s a clash of graduates from Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) as Edmen Shahbazyan and Dylan Budka face off in the second of Saturday’s three main card middleweight pairings.
The 27-year-old Shahbazyan remains a consistently inconsistent fighter heading into his 12th appearance inside the Octagon, having alternated wins and losses over his last four. He’s 2-5 since his blistering 4-0 start, flashes the promise that made him a hot commodity earlier in his career in stoppage wins over Dalcha Lungiambula and A.J. Dobson, but strugged to keep up against Anthony Hernandez and Gerald Meerschaert.
A member of the DWCS Class of ’23, Budka’s first year on the UFC roster was one he’d like to forget, as the 25-year-old dropped consecutive contests against Cesar Almeida and Andre Petroski, with the added sting of having missed weight for the second of those bouts. He showed promise on the regional circuit, beating fellow DWCS alum Wes Schultz and battling Azamat Bekoev to a split decision, so it will be interesting to see if “The Mindless Hulk” can turn things around for himself here.
With all the action taking place in the 185-pound weight class this month and the general shifting of the landscape that has been happening in the past couple of years, this is a tremendous opportunity for either one of these men to march into the Octagon, put forth a memorable performance, and kick off their year by taking a meaningful step forward in the division.
Ismael Bonfim vs Nazim Sadykhov
Two members of the DWCS Class of ’22 face off here, as Ismael Bonfim and Nazim Sadykhov share the Octagon on Saturday evening in Las Vegas.
The elder of the Bonfim Brothers has gone 2-1 in his first three UFC appearances, with a stoppage loss to Benoit Saint-Denis sandwiched between his debut second-round finish of Terrance McKinney and his unanimous decision nod over Vinc Pichel last May at UFC 301. Now 20-4 overall, Bonfim is surely looking to use this year as an opportunity to propel himself forward in the division, and a win over Sadykhov would be a good place to start.
A member of the Ray Longo’s MMA squad, Sadykhov went 2-0-1 in 2023 to establish himself as a name to track in the 155-pound weight class, posting stoppage wins over Evan Elder and McKinney before battling Viacheslav Borshchev to a draw to close out the year. He lost a little momentum by failing to make an appearance last year, but can recapture it and add to it with a big effort against Bonfim this weekend.
Which of these two ascending talents will continue to push forward in the ultra-competitive lightweight ranks?
Rodolfo Vieira vs Andre Petroski
Grappling fans have likely got this one circled on their calendars, as multiple time world champion Rodolfo Vieira squares off with Philly-based powerhouse Andre Petroski in the first of this weekend’s three middleweight contests.
Vieira enters on a two-fight winning streak, having earned back-to-back finishes and consecutive Performance of the Night bonuses in victories over Cody Brundage and Armen Petrosyan. Though he’s 35, the Brazilian standout is still only a dozen fights into his MMA career, and his world-class experience on the mats makes him a dangerous opponent for anyone that shares the Octagon with him.
Petroski rebounded from consecutive losses with a pair of grinding wins in his final two fights of 2024, using his wrestling and quality top control to neutralize both Josh Fremd and Budka en route to victories on the scorecards. The 33-year-old prides himself on his grappling abilities, so it’s going to be interesting to see how he approaches things when he steps in with “The Black Belt Hunter” this weekend.
In an ideal world, these two agree to do away with all striking and just engage in a grappling match, battling to see who the better man is. That doesn’t often happen in these situations, but Vieira is one of the few remaining specialists in the sport, and Petroski just might be confident enough to oblige the Brazilian in turning this MMA bout into a combat jiu jitsu match on Saturday night.
Connor Matthews vs Jose Delgato
The main card opens in the featherweight division, as Connor Matthews welcomes fellow DWCS graduate Jose Miguel Delgado to the Octagon for the first time.
After a gritty showing in defeat opposite Francis Marshall in his first DWCS appearance, Matthews punched his ticket to the UFC in Season 7, out-hustling Jair Farias over three rounds. He landed on the wrong side of things in his promotional debut last March in Atlantic City, falling to Dennis Buzukja, and will once again look to rebound in his second attempt under the bright UFC lights.
Delgado is the latest fighter from the MMA Lab to work his way onto the UFC roster, doing so after registering a second-round knockout win over Ernie Juarez on Season 8 of the annual talent-search series. Now he returns to the UFC APEX, aiming to extend his winning streak to six and start pushing forward in the deep and talented 145-pound weight class.
Preliminary Card Pairings
Angela Hill vs Ketlen Souza
Angela Hill faces off with Ketlen Souza in a classic “veteran versus prospect” battle in the strawweight division to close out Saturday’s prelims.
The 40-year-old Hill remains a permanent fixture in the Top 15, frequently besting those stationed behind her in the division while continuing to come up short against those positioned ahead of her in the rankings. Souza enters this one on a two-fight winning streak, having opened a ton of eyes with her first-round “club and sub” win over Yazmin Jauregui at UFC 306 in September.
Rafael Estevam vs Jesus Aguilar
Rafael Estevam and Jesus Aguilar clash in a terrific matchup between promising flyweights and DWCS alums.
The 28-year-old Estevam earned a unanimous decision win over Charles Johnson in his lone promotional appearance to date towards the end of 2023, moving to 12-0 with the victory, though he did miss weight for that contest. Aguilar has quietly posted three straight wins since dropping his first appearance under the UFC banner to Tatsuro Taira, most recently submitting Stewart Nicoll in less than three minutes at UFC 305 in Perth.
Gabriel Bonfim vs Khaos Williams
Gabriel Bonfim aims to set the tone for his family before his elder brother takes to the cage later in the evening when he squares off with Khaos Williams in what promises to be a volatile welterweight fixture.
The youngest member of the Bonfim clan bounced back from his first professional setback with a unanimous decision win over Ange Loosa in Denver in July. Williams has posted a 6-2 mark inside the Octagon and returned to his finishing ways last time out, putting away Carlston Harris in 90 seconds flat in May.
Vince Morales vs Elijah Smith
Veteran Vince Morales looks to get things moving in the right direction again, while newcomer Elijah Smith makes his first trek into the Octagon in this intriguing bantamweight matchup on Saturday’s prelims.
Morales earned a return call of the Octagon last September after posting five wins and four finishes on the regional circuit, but landed on the wrong side of the results in a clash with Taylor Lapilus in Paris. The 22-year-old Smith impressed with is grit and moxie in his win over City Kickboxing man Aaron Tau last season on Dana White’s Contender Series, and will look to extend his winning streak to six as he makes his promotional debut this weekend in Las Vegas.
Don'Tale Mayes vs Valter Walker
Heavyweights hit the cage in the second fight of the night this weekend, as Valter Walker looks to build on his first UFC win and Don’Tale Mayes aims to get back in the win column once more.
After dropping his debut to Lukasz Brzeski in April, Walker secured his first victory inside the Octagon in August, earning a first-round verbal submission finish of Junior Tafa at UFC 305 after lacing up a heel hook in the waning seconds of the opening frame. Now 10 fights into his UFC tenure, Mayes has alternated losses and wins over his last five fights, and hopes to maintain that pattern after landing on the wrong side of the cards against Shamil Gaziev last time out.
Julia Avila vs Jacqueline Cavalcanti
Julia Avila and Jacqueline Cavalcanti square off in a compelling bantamweight clash that opens the show on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Stationed at No. 12 in the divisional ranks, Avila returns for the first time since suffering a submission loss to Miesha Tate at the end of 2023, aiming to secure her first victory since finishing Julija Stoliarenko in the summer of 2021. Cavalcanti, who touches down at the APEX positioned one spot behind her opponent in the rankings, has gone 3-0 to start her UFC tenure, extending her overall winning streak to six while establishing herself as an intriguing name to track in the 135-pound weight class.
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