Gregory Rodrigues didn’t pull any punches in his preparation for Jared Cannonier later tonight (Sat., Feb. 15, 2025) at UFC Vegas 102 LIVE on ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. “Robocop” went as far as hanging photos of Cannonier all over his house so he familiarizes himself with his future foe.
While most fighters wouldn’t want to see their opponent’s face plastered in multiple rooms at their own home, Rodrigues felt the need to remind himself who he’s fighting. It’s an important step for “Robocop” as he tries to build off a recent three-fight win streak and crack into the UFC middleweight top 15 with a win over “Killa Gorilla” on Saturday night.
“I aim to become UFC champion, to fight for the belt,” Rodrigues told MMA Fighting. “This fight will put me in an excellent position to call someone out. I already have a name in mind, but Cannonier first. I have pictures of him all over my house. That’s my target now. It’s Robocop-style. As soon as I put him down, I’ll aim at the next one and continue my journey towards the belt.”
Believe it or not, this fight camp wouldn’t be the first time that Rodrigues has hung pictures of his opponent around his house. One of “Robocop’s” close friends presented him with the idea prior to his fight against Brad Tavares back in Feb. 2024 (highlights HERE). Rodrigues adopted the pre-fight ritual and has been doing it ever since, hoping it leads to another win against an even more dangerous opponent.
“I have photos in my living room, at the door when I leave, in the bathroom,” Rodrigues explained. “There are photos in rooms I go the most, except for my daughter’s bedroom and mine. The rest of the house, it’s everywhere. I have nothing against him, brother, but he’s the one standing in front of me and he must be stopped. I like to stare are him. Not to familiarize with him, but to make it common. I’ve seen this guy already. I know who I’m fighting. It’s hard to fight someone you don’t know.”
Rodrigues, 32, is 7-2 overall since his Octagon debut back in 2021. His only missteps came in the form of a split decision loss to Armen Petrosyan in 2022 and a vicious knockout defeat to Bruno Silva back in 2023. “Robocop” will easily crack the top 15 with a win over Cannonier at UFC Vegas 102 and has the all-around skill set to make a fun run at contention here in 2025.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 102 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 7 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
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