Can Jared Cannonier make a comeback?
The UFC veteran is in the middle of the biggest slump of his career as he’s fresh off back-to-back losses against Caio Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov. The 40-year-old said it himself that he currently feels like a gatekeeper for these up-and-coming fighters. Though Cannonier hasn't had the best luck of late, that doesn’t mean the middleweight should be counted out. Cannonier has a strong fist that has resulted in ten knockouts in his career. His record currently stands at 17 wins and 8 losses.
Gregory Rodrigues is slowly climbing the UFC ranks. The 32-year-old stumbled a bit with a knockout loss to Brunno Ferreira at UFC 283; however, Rodrigues came back strong by securing three consecutive wins over Denis Tiuliulin, Brad Tavares, and Christian Leroy Duncan. Should he beat Cannonier, it’ll be the biggest win of his career thus far. Rodrigues’ record currently stands at 16 wins and 5 losses.
Calvin Kattar is in the same boat as Cannonier, but the veteran is actually on a three-fight skid. His last win was against Giga Chikadze in 2022. Despite Kattar’s decline in recent years, the 36-year-old can still make a great gameplan to put his opponents in place. Kattar’s record currently stands at 23 wins and 8 losses.
That won’t be easy though. That’s because Youssef Zalal is on a hot streak; The featherweight is in the midst of a six-fight winning streak. This comes after Zalal was on a dangerous three-fight skid in 2020/2021. But Zalal adjusted his gameplan and is rising through the ranks in the 145-pound division. Zalal’s record currently stands at 16 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw.
Check out the advertised fights below for UFC Fight Night 251:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
- Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues
- Calvin Kattar vs. Youssef Zalal
- Dylan Budka vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
- Ismael Bonfim vs. Nazim Sadykhov
- Andre Petroski vs. Rodolfo Vieira
- Jose Delgado vs. Connor Matthews
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
- Angela Hill vs. Ketlen Souza
- Jared Gordon vs. Mashrabjon Ruziboev
- Jesus Aguilar vs. Rafael Estevam
- Gabriel Bonfim vs. Khaos Williams
- Vince Morales vs. Elijah Smith
- Don’Tale Mayes vs. Valter Walker
- Julia Avila vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti