Jared Cannonier gets honest about facing fast-rising UFC middleweight Gregory Rodrigues next, hopes "third time's the motherf**king charm"

Jared Cannonier is set to headline UFC Vegas 102 against rising middleweight contender Gregory Rodrigues at the Apex in Las Vegas. Ahead of the highly anticipated clash, the former title challenger acknowledged the significance of this fight, as he is currently on a two-fight losing streak.

In his most recent outing, Cannonier faced Caio Borralho last August, suffering a unanimous decision loss. Before that, he squared off with Nassourdine Imavov in June, where he was stopped via knockout in the fourth round. Cannonier is determined to bounce back and prove he is still a top contender in the division.

In his recent interview with MMA Junkie, ‘The Killa Gorilla’ spoke with Mike Bohn. The journalist pointed out that Rodrigues is in a similar position to Cannonier’s two most recent opponents, both of whom were rising contenders in the middleweight division.

Cannonier agreed with that assessment and expressed confidence that the third time would be the charm, saying:

“Yes, I mean, to a certain degree, you can look at it like that because he is another one. I guess further down, you know what I mean? I lost to the first one who was in that position when I was number three, and then I lost to the next one who was in that position when I was four or five or wherever I was. And now I’m still in this—so it’s the same thing. Hopefully, the third time’s the motherf**king charm because 2024 was not a good year for me.”

Furthermore, the former middleweight title challenger expressed his appreciation for the promotion granting him another headlining opportunity and acknowledged that ‘Robocop’ is a tough opponent. Cannonier stated:

“I do appreciate them giving me another main event. I’m aware of who Gregory Rodrigues is, and that is a tough challenge, and I’m appreciative of that — that I have a challenge to overcome. I guess I’m in the position that I find myself in because I didn’t win those last two fights.”

Check out Jared Cannonier’s comments below:

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Jared Cannonier vows to knock out Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Vegas 102

In a recent interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Jared Cannonier was asked about how he envisions his fight against Gregory Rodrigues unfolding.

‘The Killa Gorilla’ confidently asserted that cardio would not be an issue for him, as he has worked extensively on his gas tank. Cannonier boldly predicted a knockout victory in the second or third round, stating:

“I plan on knocking him out, I think it will be a TKO, possibly in the second or third round. He tends to slow down a little bit, I’m working really hard on my cardio for that not to be an issue, I plan on not taking any damage, I plan on being hard to hit, and hitting him as many times as possible. I’m always hoping for the best, my last two fights haven’t gone that way. But, I’m always hoping for the best. I’m always working and training to improve and to bring the best that’s in my mind to reality.”

Check out Jared Cannonier’s comments below (5:36):