Top middleweight contenders Derek Brunson and Jared Cannonier no longer have to argue over who’s next in line for a 185-pound title shot, now that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has booked them to throw down at the UFC 270 pay-per-view (PPV) event on Jan. 22 at a city and venue to be determined.
That’s according to MMA Junkie.
Brunson (23-7), ranked one spot below Cannonier at No. 4, has not tasted defeat since falling to Israel Adesanya at UFC 230 back in Nov. 2018. In the time since they last fought, Brunson has captured five straight wins, while “The Last Stylebender” went on to beat Robert Whittaker for the middleweight title.
A potential Adesanya-Whittaker rematch is also being eyed for UFC 270.
As for Cannonier (14-5), who like his fight night opponent is 37 years old, he’s won four of his last five with his only blemish during that span coming at the hands of Whittaker. “The Killa Gorilla” has already been named by Adesanya as the most dangerous fighter in the 185-pound division, a fact not lost on Brunson.
No other matchups have been reported for UFC 270 at this time; however, you can expect that to change sooner, rather than later.