UFC Vegas 102 results: Sooo … About last night | Cannonier vs. Robo Cop

Last night (Sat., Feb. 15, 2025), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned home to UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC Vegas 102. After a pair of international events, this was a standard Apex affair. A “Fight Night” event headlined by Middleweights and filled with Contenders Series products has become the promotion’s bread and butter, and this event was no different. Still, there was some fun scraps and cool finishes, which is really all we can ask for on a night such as this.

Let’s take a look back over at UFC Vegas 102’s best performances and techniques:

Cannonier Outlasts Robo Cop

It has to be said again: Jared Cannonier is fighting outrageously well for 40 years of age.

He spent most of the first five minutes weathering the storm. Gregory Rodrigues came out with the intention of destroying “Killa Gorilla” immediately, swinging hard punches in combination, finishing combos with knees and kicks. He floored Cannonier twice and stunned him several more times, but all the while, Cannonier kept his wits about him. He wrestled his way to safety a couple times, buying time and wasting Rodrigues gas tank.

By the second, “Robo Cop” was tired and needed a round to recover. Cannonier wisely established his jab and landed plenty of low kicks, bloodying up Rodrigues and slowing him down further. The Brazilian was ready to scrap again by round three, but the damage was done. His punches were no longer flooring Cannonier, who could now exchange with Rodrigues and land his own heavy shots.

It was a great, competitive round until Cannonier landed a fight-changing elbow in the closing seconds. Rodrigues crumbled, and the round ending only served to delay the inevitable by about 75 seconds. As soon as he was allowed, Cannonier swarmed Rodrigues and forced the finish.

Gritty and powerful, Cannonier still has plenty left to give at 185 pounds.

Zalal Dances By Kattar

For 10 minutes, Youssef Zalal was untouchable.

“The Moroccan Devil” really utilized his footwork and feints beautifully to neutralize Kattar’s offense. He established the jab first and prevented his opponent from doing the same, meaning Kattar spent most of the fighting swinging at air or holding back because he knew he was going to miss. Zalal landed a lot of shots in the time, cutting up Kattar’s face and building a major lead.

Credit to Kattar, he tried to storm back in the third. As Zalal slowed just a touch, Kattar extended his combinations and finally began to land punches. It wasn’t too dramatic and it didn’t earn him back the win, but at least Kattar managed to find some success before the final bell.

Golden Boy Rebounds

Edmen Shahbazyan smoked Dylan Budka in about 90 seconds.

Let’s be clear: that’s exactly what should have happened. Shahbazyan is way too talented to be in the cage with a nearly .500 fighter, and he proved as much. Shahbazyan has seen more than his fair share of career ups and downs, but this was a massive step back in competition.

“Golden Boy” did his job with a heavy counter right hand.

It’s also worth-noting that Shahbazyan looked in better physical shape than usual here, both leaner and more muscular. This win doesn’t prove much, but perhaps things are finally clicking into place for the former bluechip prospect? He’s still young enough to go on a run, so hope is alive even after quite a few bad losses.

Maybe — just maybe — this is the turn of a page, the start of a new and positive streak.

A Vicious Debut

Jose Miguel Delgado’s UFC debut didn’t last long, but he made a strong first impression against Connor Matthews. The Contenders Series product entered the fight with a 100% finish rate, and his aggressive and precise striking made it clear how he’s built up that record.

Matthews scored a brief moment of control with his wrestling, but Delgado didn’t have any trouble escaping back to his feet. As soon as he opened up, his offensive abilities quickly became apparent. From either stance, he was immediately lining up big connections, culminating in a heavy 1-2 down the middle that floored Matthews. His killer instinct was on display too, as Delgado jumped his wounded opponent with accurate, powerful ground strikes to secure the finish.

The 26 year old from Arizona is definitely one to watch moving forward.

Additional Thoughts

Nazim Sadykhov defeats Ismael Bonfim via first-round doctor stoppage: This was a great fight that ended too early. Bonfim started fast, dinging Sadykhov with quick punches and controlling the pace. Sadykhov struck back late in the first with a slick question mark high kick that really hurt Bonfim, possibly breaking his orbital. The Brazilian never fell and made it back to his corner, however, and there was some confusion between rounds about whether or not he could see. Bonfim certainly appeared to want to keep going, but the bout was called off anyway.

Gabriel Bonfim defeats Khaos Williams via second-round d’arce choke (highlights): Bonfim really outclassed his opponent here. Williams is known for his aggression and punching power, but neither were particularly useful when he hit a whole lot of air. Bonfim put together every element of his game to control distance and keep Williams back. He stranded him at distance with sharp jabs, heavy calf kicks, and even belly-poking front kicks, ensuring Williams’ big swings never reached him. When Williams got over-aggressive, Bonfim would change levels with a shot and drag him to the floor, where the Brazilian was a vastly superior grappler. The end sequence was a thing of beauty, as Bonfim continually tightened and cranked on the choke to score a buzzer-beater strangle and leave Williams out cold! Winner of four of his last five, the 27 year old could still develop into a serious contender in the years to come.

Valter Walker defeats Don’Tale Mayes via first-round heel hook (highlights): I cannot decide whether to laugh or cry. Mayes — SOMEHOW — entered this bout as a ranked Heavyweight, meaning Walter had an opportunity to break into the Top 15 in just his third UFC fight despite splitting his first two bouts. Laughably, Walker was easily able to ground Mayes, drop down on a heel hook, and secure an instant tapout in roughly a minute. I don’t know if Mayes has terrible knees, no idea how to grapple, or both … but he is likely the only fighter in UFC history to get tapped out by the heel hook twice by fighters who are not at all leg lock specialists! Yikes.

For complete UFC Vegas 102 results and play-by-play, click here.