UFC Vegas 102 Preview And Predictions

UFC Vegas 102 Preview And Predictions

The UFC is back in the Apex Center for UFC Vegas 102. The event does have some interesting fights for an Apex event. UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier will fight Gregory Rodrigues in the main event. Cannonier has proven to be a solid fight night headliner and Rodrigues is taking a step up in competition. The co-main event provides a similar situation with a matchup between Calvin Kattar and Youssef Zalal.

Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict the UFC Vegas 102 main card. You can find our yearly prediction records below.

James: 9-11-1

Garrett: 10-10-1

Anthony: 9-11-1

Jerry: 11-9-1

Rodolfo Vieira vs. Andre Petroski- Middleweight Bout

James: At UFC Vegas 102, Rodolfo Vieira will fight Andre Petroski. Vieira is a highly credentialed BJJ practitioner who has transitioned to MMA. The move has not been flawless, but it has been successful thus far as he sits with a 5-2 record. Petroski has quickly racked up quite a few UFC fights. The Ultimate Fighter Season 29 contestant has gone 7-2 in the UFC since joining the promotion in 2021. 

Vieira is a sensational BJJ practiconer. That can be seen in the fact that he was given the nickname “The Black Belt Hunter”. He was given that name for submitted black belts in BJJ competitions. In MMA, he is sensational at landing takedowns and working from the top position. It also has to be noted that Vieira has made serious growth to adapt to MMA. This begins with how he implements ground-and-pound into his grappling. It also helps that he has shown growth in his striking skills. 

Petroski is a solid grappler. This is because he has a strong wrestling background that is mixed with respectable submission skills. On the feet, he throws big shots. It is not highly technical, but he has a lot of power. 

This UFC Vegas 102 preview is intriguing because both fighters have similarities. Both fighters could be summarized as impressive grapplers with raw striking skills and suspect cardio. That said, Vieira is still the clear favorite. In all of the aforementioned skills, Vieira’s best skills are more impressive and his flaws are less concerning. His overall grappling game is better, he has shown more striking growth, and his cardio is better. It should not come as a surprise that I expect him to win the fight. I will take Vieira by second-round submission.

Garrett: Vieira via submission

Anthony: Vieira via decision

Jerry: Vieira via submission

Ismael Bonfim vs. Nazim Sadykhov- Lightweight Bout

James: The UFC Vegas 102 main card features a lightweight bout between Ismael Bonfim and Nazim Sadykhov. Bonfim and Sadkykhov are both prospects who are early into their UFC tenure. At 29, Bonfim sits at 2-1 in the UFC. Sadykhov, 30, is 2-0-1 in the promotion. This fight is a solid opportunity for one of these fighters to stand out in a division filled with quality young prospects. 

Sadykhov has an impressive skillset with tools in both the striking and grappling realm. In boxing exchanges, he sits in the pocket and rips big booths to the head and body. Additionally, he is a southpaw with a strong left kick. This provides knockout potential but also helps him attack the body. Despite his best skill being his striking, he has respectable wrestling and mixes those skills into his game. 

Bonfim is a talented fighter with the ability to finish the fight. On the feet, he is a patient counter striker. This can lead to periods without much success, but he can catch up with a single strike. This style is mirrored when he grapples. Bonfim can be takedown and put on his back, but he is always live to land a submission. 

This UFC Vegas 102 bout previews as a competitive fight where both fighters could have success. Ultimately, I prefer siding with Sadykhov because of his ability to push the pace for three rounds. If this fight gets into the second round, he will pressure Bonfim with big strikes. Once the going gets tough, I expect Sadykhov’s cardio and toughness to win out. I will take Sadykhov by third-round knockout. 

Garrett: Sadykhov via TKO

Anthony: Bonfim via KO/TKO

Jerry: Sadykhov via decision

Edman Shahbazyan vs. Dylan Budka- Middleweight Bout

James: At UFC Vegas 102, Edman Shahbazyan will fight Dylan Budka. Shahbazyan has hit highs and lows throughout his UFC career. Those moments have balanced out to result in a 6-5 record in the promotion. Budka desperately needs a win in this fight. At 0-2 in the UFC, he needs a win to hold his roster spot. 

Shahbazyan has much better striking skills than his UFC record suggests. In striking exchanges, he has solid boxing paired with a deep toolbox of kicks. These weapons all have knockout potential. The issue is that this knockout threat lasts approximately a round. His cardio concerns seriously tamper his upside. Furthermore, when he is tired, he gets taken down consistently. At his best, his grappling is average, but it gets bad when his cardio is diminished. 

Budka does not carry any elite skills. The best aspect of his game is his wrestling and clinch control; however, he is not special in either category. It does not help that these skills are not backed by a respectable striking game. It makes his game plan predictable and hurts his effectiveness. 

This UFC Vegas 102 preview shows two potential outcomes for this fight. The first is that Shahbazyan lands an early knockout. The other is that Budka survives the early danger while Shahbazyan gasses out. This will allow Budka to begin landing takedowns. Ultimately, I will side with the first of the two outcomes. I do not think Budka’s takedowns or clinch control will be good enough to keep out of danger in the first round. Shahbazyan should fight off early grappling exchanges before landing a knockout. I will take Shahbazyan by first-round knockout. 

Garrett: Shahbazyan via TKO

Anthony: Shahbazyan via KO/TKO

Jerry: Shahbazyan via KO/TKO

No. 10 Calvin Kattar vs. Youssef Zalal- Featherweight Bout 

James: The UFC Vegas 102 co-main event is a featherweight bout between Calvin Kattar and Youssef Zalal. Kattar is a 36-year-old with a 7-6 UFC record; however, he is currently on a three-fight losing streak. Now, he is forced to fight an unranked opponent to maintain his ranking. This is Zala’s second run in the UFC. In his initial run, he was cut after going 3-3-1. The tides turned in after working his way back to the promotion. Zalal sits at 3-0 since making it back to the UFC. That has rightfully earned him a ranked opponent. 

Kattar has outstanding boxing skills for MMA. This begins with his jab and straight. The latter can turn his opponent’s lights off. Plus, if he is landing those strikes, he can add body shots, hooks, and uppercuts to land in combinations. The biggest concern with Kattar is his return from an ACL tear. He was sidelined for over a year with the injury and showed serious regression when he returned to fight Aljamain Sterling at UFC 300. 

In his recent UFC run, Zalal has shown many impressive skills. On the feet, he is fleet of foot and uses his speed to avoid taking damage. He can get in and out of range without getting hit, which helps him pick at his opponent with impactful shots while landing more efficiently. This is paired with a respectable grappling game. Zalal is capable of landing clinch takedowns and presents a serious submission threat. 

The UFC Vegas 102 co-main event preview favors Zalal. At this point, there it is hard to ignore the red flags from Kattar’s return from injury. It was evident that he regressed as a grappler. Meanwhile, Zalal is making improvements and getting positive results. These two fighters are trending in opposite directions. It is hard to go against the fighter who is trending upward. That is especially true considering the stylistic matchup. I expect Zalal to have a lot of grappling success en route to victory. I will take Zalal by decision.

Garrett: Zalal via decision

Anthony: Zalal via decision

Jerry: Zalal via decision

No. 7 Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues- Middleweight Bout 

James: In the UFC Vegas 102 main event, Jared Cannonier will fight Gregory Rodrigues in the middleweight bout. Cannonier has had a great UFC run during his time in the middleweight division. In the UFC, he has a 10-8 record, but he is 7-4 at middleweight. Although, he is 40 years old and showing signs of aging. That has resulted in consecutive losses. That has put him in a position where he is forced to defend his ranking against a surging Rodrigues. The rising contender has a 7-2 UFC record and is riding a three-fight win streak. Alongside his success, Rodrigues has also consistently provided fans with entertaining fights. 

Cannonier has fight-changing power and the ability to set up big shots. He accomplished this is a variety of ways. The most common is using footwork and feints to back his opponents up to the fence. Once his opponents are corralled, he will get them moving into big hooks. In open space, he will allow his opponent to attack first and attempt to land big shots while his opponents attempt to exit the pocket. The biggest issue with Cannonier’s game is his age. At 40, his durability is dropping and he is getting slower. These are both serious issues that compound. The drop in speed has resulted in being counter and landing fewer shots. This has increased the amount he gets hit which leads to being hurt more frequently. That leads to further durability concerns. 

Rodrigues is an aggressive striker who consistently lands impactful strikes. At a distance, he throws straight shots that are quick. Additionally, he has quick quicks. On the inside, he will rip hooks. These strikes all land with impact while providing him tools to fight at any range. This offensive approach does provide his opponents opportunities to land powerful shots of their own. Rodrigues’ aggression in the pocket provides opponents a chance while on the inside. Despite rarely offensively grappling, he has shown the ability to land takedowns and create offense from the top position. 

The UFC Vegas 102 main event previews as a highly entertaining scrap. Cannonier and Rodrigues are both fighters that will attempt to land hard shots for five rounds. Plus, both fighters have similar offensive firepower and durability concerns. That makes it likely this fight ends inside the distance. It is easy to see a way for both fighters to land the finish. Cannonier will have a chance to land hooks in boxing exchanges that end of the fight. Meanwhile, Rodrigues’ straight shots and counters are his path to a finish. In a prediction, I will side with Rodrigues because of his age and speed. I expect the speed difference to result in Rodrigues finding fight-changing strikes first. I will take Rodrigues by third-round knockout.

Garrett: Rodrigues via TKO

Anthony: Rodrigues via KO/TKO

Jerry: Rodrigues via decision

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