Kamaru Usman hails Gregory Rodrigues as “dark horse” and gives prediction for UFC Vegas 102 clash vs. Jared Cannonier

Kamaru Usman recently broke down the Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues main event of UFC Vegas 102 to explain how Rodrigues was a worthy rival for Cannonier. Usman also provided the Brazilian with an appreciative title.

Rodrigues may have endured a defeat in his Dana White Contender Series fight against Jordan Williams in 2020. But his hard-hitting style proved to be enough to earn him a UFC contract. 'Robocop' currently holds a 7-2 record in his nine UFC main roster fights with his tenth appearance scheduled to begin in a few more hours against Jared Cannonier at UFC Vegas 102.

'The Killa Gorilla' is known to be one of the heaviest strikers in the middleweight division, with 6 out of his 10 UFC victories coming via a KO/TKO (across three divisions). However, a recent Instagram reel from @pound4pound showcased Usman implying that Rodrigues had enough skills to match Cannonier's striking prowess.

'The Nigerian Nightmare' labeled Rodrigues the "dark horse" of the middleweight division besides suggesting a change in his nickname. Usman also analyzed how the 32-year-old could "hurt" his rival in the fight. He said:

"Jared Cannonier has knockouts in three different divisions. He is always dangerous, always has been. Gregory Rodrigues is arguably the dark horse in that middleweight division. He may not have a number next to his name. But I can tell you from experience, that he is the dark horse. His nickname is ‘Robocop’ but it should be ‘The Terminator’. Everything he hits you with is gonna hurt."

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Gregory Rodrigues boasts a better KO/TKO rate in the UFC than Jared Cannonier

The UFC record of Gregory Rodrigues record testifies to Kamaru Usman's analysis of his capability to hurt his rivals. The Manaus, Amazonas native has seven UFC victories, with five of them coming via a KO/TKO.

A comparison between the UFC records of the UFC Vegas 102 main eventers reveals that Rodrigues trumps his hard-hitting rival, Jared Cannonier, in terms of the KO/TKO rate. The Brazilian boasts five KO/TKO finishes out of his seven UFC victories, which boosts his KO/TKO rate to 71%, while his rival holds a 60% KO/TKO rate with six KO/TKO finishes in his ten UFC wins.