Preview: UFC 292 Prelims

Middleweights

Gregory Rodrigues (13-5, 4-2 UFC) vs. Denis Tiuliulin (10-7, 1-2 UFC)

ODDS: Rodrigues (-355), Tiuliulin (+280)

Rodrigues continues to be a must-watch fighter, even if his last fight showed why that trend can sometimes be a detriment. Brazil’s “Robocop” is a grappler by trade, which actually rarely shows up over the course of Rodrigues’ fights. He would much rather pressure his opponents with an offense-heavy style that turns most of his fights into all-out wars. That has earned Rodrigues some status as a fan favorite and some surprisingly big wins. A 2021 victory over Jun Yong Park has aged well, and his second-round knockout of Chidi Njokuani roughly a year ago was an impressive comeback after Rodrigues essentially got his face split open. However, Rodrigues’ lack of defensive mindfulness when he throws his offense has come back to bite him in some surprising spots. His 2020 knockout loss to Jordan Williams on Dana White’s Contender Series is a shock in retrospect, and he got quickly starched by late replacement Brunno Ferreira in January. Rodrigues attempts to rebound here against Tiuliulin in a fight that the Brazilian should win, even if everything is lined up for this fight to be much more difficult than it has to be. Tiuliulin did not have the type of regional record that screamed out for a UFC callup, but the Russian is a consistently entertaining striker who thrives in creating chaos. Tiuliulin’s wrestling and grappling defense are clear weaknesses that Rodrigues has the skills to exploit. However, the Brazilian lacks the disposition, so this figures to be another back-and-forth affair where Rodrigues creates some excitement by needlessly letting his opponent into the fight. Rodrigues is still the overall better fighter, so he gets the nod in a war of attrition, but it is not likely to be easy. The pick is Rodrigues via second-round stoppage.

Jump To »
Tavares vs. Weidman
Rodrigues vs. Tiuliulin
Hubbard vs. Holobaugh
Katona vs. Gibson
Petroski vs. Meerschaert
Silva vs. Lee
Silva vs. Moroz