UFC Fight Night 251: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- May 23
- 2 min read
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 251: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues took place on February 15, 2025 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas — UFC Vegas 102. The middleweight main event featured No. 8-ranked veteran Jared Cannonier against Gregory ‘Robocop’ Rodrigues in the Brazilian’s first UFC main event. Post-event facts confirmed the 40-year-olds thrived: both Cannonier (40) and Angela Hill (40) earned victories on the card.
The main event was an absolute war. Both fighters scored two knockdowns in a back-and-forth slugfest before Cannonier finished Rodrigues with punches just 21 seconds into round four. Both earned PoN bonuses for the fight. Youssef Zalal continued his rise with a UD over Calvin Kattar. Shahbazyan and Gabriel Bonfim also earned PoN bonuses with spectacular finishes.
Quick Stats
✅ Result: Jared Cannonier def. Gregory Rodrigues via TKO (Punches) (Round 4, 0:21) | Feb 15, 2025 | UFC Apex
⭐ Notable: Wild war — 2 KDs each (both earn PoN) | 40-year-olds thrive (Cannonier & Hill both win at 40) | Zalal UD Kattar | Shahbazyan KO Budka R1 PoN | G. Bonfim PoN | Sadykhov TKO Bonfim (doctor’s stoppage) | No FotN, 4 PoN
Full Results
Jared Cannonier def. Gregory Rodrigues — TKO (Punches) (Round 4, 0:21) — Both earn PoN | 2 KDs each | Absolute war
Youssef Zalal def. Calvin Kattar — UD (29-28 x3) R3; Edmen Shahbazyan def. Dylan Budka — KO R1, 1:35 (PoN); Nazim Sadykhov def. Ismael Bonfim — TKO (Doctor’s Stoppage) R1; Rodolfo Vieira def. Andre Petroski — UD R3; Gabriel Bonfim (PoN); Angela Hill won at 40
Bonuses & Awards
🏆 Performance of the Night (4 bonuses): Jared Cannonier ($50k), Gregory Rodrigues ($50k), Edmen Shahbazyan ($50k), Gabriel Bonfim ($50k) | No FotN
Legacy & Impact
FN 251 proved that age is just a number. Cannonier’s thrilling war with Rodrigues — two knockdowns apiece before a dramatic fourth-round finish — was one of the best middleweight fights of early 2025. At 40, Cannonier showed he still has elite-level power and fight IQ. Zalal’s victory over Kattar continued the Moroccan’s steady rise through the featherweight ranks.
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