Gregory Rodrigues: UFC Vegas 102 Performance Hindered by Weight Cut Recovery Issues

Gregory Rodrigues began the UFC Vegas 102 main event like a man on a mission.

However, after dropping Jared Cannonier twice in the opening stanza, the hard-hitting Brazilian began to fade, ultimately falling to his veteran opponent via fourth-round technical knockout this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. “Robocop” never looked the same after that strong first round, and as it turns out, there might have been a good reason for that decline.

“Cannonier is a highly experienced fighter who taught me a lot in this fight! I saw several details that can be improved—things that will be changed. Winning ‘Fight of the Night’ was a gift for two warriors who weren’t afraid to go to battle,” Rodrigues wrote on Instagram. “Most people don’t know this, but I had serious issues to recovery after weight cut—my body just wasn’t responding. I keep wondering how things would’ve played out if I had been at 100%.

“But no sad stories here—Robocop never dies! Time to recharge, reset the system, and upgrade, ‘cause I’m just getting started.”

Prior to UFC Vegas 102, Rodrigues had won five of his last six Octagon appearances — finishing four of those victories via knockout or technical knockout. The 33-year-old Kill Cliff FC representative is 7-3 during his tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion.

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