Preview: UFC Vegas 102 ‘Cannonier vs. Rodrigues’

Lightweights

Ismael Bonfim (20-4, 2-1 UFC) vs. Nazim Sadykhov (9-1-1, 2-0-1 UFC)

ODDS: Bonfim (-198), Sadykhov (+164)

Azerbaijan’s Sadykhov had a highly successful 2023, making his Octagon debut and going undefeated in three UFC bouts, but it’s unclear exactly how far “Black Wolf” can take a game that appears to rely on some thin margins. Sadykhov has flashed some skill, particularly on the mat, but he would much rather take the hard road to victory and wade forward looking to bang things out. That has usually resulted in Sadykhov having to dig his way out of a hole early on, but the impressive part is that he has kept doing so over and over, ending his fights as the fresher fighter if he doesn’t find a finish before the final horn. However, Sadykhov’s last fight against Viacheslav Borshchev does seem to be a clear sign that he needs to retool. It was an excellent battle, but Sadykhov needed a massive second round to earn the draw in a fight where he also absorbed a ton of damage. Sadykhov unfortunately missed all of 2024, so it’s unclear if he has taken any lessons from that bout, but Bonfim isn’t exactly a forgiving opponent for his return.

Bonfim is typically more technically sound and less flashy than his younger brother but had the more impressive UFC debut, obliterating Terrance McKinney with a flying knee in January 2023. That set some high expectations for “Marreta” going into his next fight, but Benoit St. Denis turned out to be a much tougher opponent than expected, as the Frenchman’s pressure overwhelmed Bonfim’s counter-focused approach ahead of a first-round submission. Bonfim’s next bout against Vinc Pichel was a return to form in a positive sense, affirming that the Brazilian can pour on damage and look absolutely electric when given time and space to work. Sadykhov marks a return to Bonfim facing a pressure-focused opponent, but he doesn’t have quite the focused level of violence that St. Denis brings to the table. This looks like a fight where Sadykhov is more likely to wade into danger rather than overwhelm Bonfim with any sort of attritional volume. Add in that Bonfim is capable enough on the mat that Sadykhov shouldn’t be able to grind this one out should he choose to pivot, and this looks like a fun bit of work for the Brazilian. The pick is Bonfim via decision.

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Cannonier vs. Rodrigues
Zalal vs. Kattar
Shahbazyan vs. Budka
Bonfim vs. Sadykhov
Vieira vs. Petroski
Delgado vs. Matthews
The Prelims