"How TF did he come back with his face falling off?" - When an ex-UFC champ was blown away by Gregory Rodrigues' "toughness" following a horrific cut

Gregory Rodrigues' gritty come-from-behind victory, achieved while facing a potential doctor's stoppage, is one of the most impressive performances in recent UFC history.

Rodrigues fought Chidi Njokuani in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 60 in September 2022. The high-paced fight saw both men having their moments in Round 1. However, a knee from Njokuani opened a significant cut on Rodrigues' forehead. Referee Mark Smith asked the ringside physician to inspect the cut before Round 2.

The physician determined that 'Robocop' could continue at that moment but warned that the fight might need to be stopped if the cut worsened. Taking this into account, Rodrigues controlled the pace, secured a takedown, and ultimately won by TKO through ground-and-pound.

Aljamain Sterling, who was the reigning UFC bantamweight champion at the time, took to X to express his amazement at Rodrigues' ability to show urgency and secure the victory, writing:

"How TF did he come back with his face falling off?? Insane toughness, cardio, and heart right there! #UFCVegas60."

Rodrigues vs. Njokuani was declared the Fight of the Night, and both fighters earned a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus for their thrilling performance. After the event, UFC CEO Dana White shared graphic images of the cut on Rodrigues' forehead, which required several stitches to close.

Check out the images below:

[GRAPHIC CONTENT - Readers' discretion adviced]

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Gregory Rodrigues set to face the biggest challenge of his career at UFC Vegas 102

Despite a heroic effort to secure a win against Chidi Njokuani, Gregory Rodriguez was unable to maintain his momentum and suffered a first-round TKO defeat to Brunno Ferreira in his next fight.

However, he bounced back with three consecutive victories, including two by knockout, in his subsequent outings. In his most recent fight, Rodriguez defeated Christian Leroy Duncan by unanimous decision in July 2024.

The Brazilian fighter is now set to face No. 7-ranked middleweight contender and former title challenger Jared Cannonier at UFC Vegas 102 on Feb. 15. Although Cannonier is the more experienced and accomplished fighter, he is coming off back-to-back defeats to Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho.

As a result, he enters the Feb. 15 showdown as a +155 betting underdog, while Rodriguez is the -180 favorite and has a chance to enter the top 15 of the division with a potential win.