Tag: Jared Cannonier

Cannonier Details Why He’s Not As Excited For Adesanya Fight As Others

UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier has explained why he’s not as excited for his first championship opportunity as his friends and family are. After over seven years fighting in the Octagon, 13 appearances, five bonus-worthy performances, and three different weight classes, Cannonier is set for his first title shot next month. Having secured number one…

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UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier has explained why he’s not as excited for his first championship opportunity as his friends and family are.

After over seven years fighting in the Octagon, 13 appearances, five bonus-worthy performances, and three different weight classes, Cannonier is set for his first title shot next month.

Having secured number one contender status with back-to-back wins, the most recent of which saw him brutally finish Derek Brunson at UFC 271, “The Killa Gorilla” is set to challenge for Israel Adesanya’s middleweight gold in the main event of UFC 276 on July 2.

While many fighters would be drinking in every moment ahead of their first championship fight on MMA’s biggest stage, Cannonier isn’t letting the occasion overwhelm him.

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, the cool-headed Texas native described his upcoming battle with Adesanya as “just another fight” and the next step on a journey he always knew he’d be on.

With that in mind, and while his family, friends, and supporters’ excitement builds as fight night edges closer, Cannonier is focused on the task at hand.

“This is the only journey I’ve ever walked, so this is just normal to me. It’s just the normal journey,” said Cannonier. “I already knew when I got into this thing what I’m capable of. Being a realist, we all know it’s not gonna happen overnight. So, this is just a part of it, which is probably one of the reasons why I’m not as excited about this as most of my friends and family, and all the other fans are about this fight.

“For me, man, it’s just another fight. Again, all this stuff is at stake, but that’s just extra pressure if I concentrate on that,” Cannonier continued. “The only thing I’m concentrating on is being the best version of myself… and applying my mind to the task at hand, which is dethroning the champ.”

While Adesanya will enter his latest defense as a sizable favorite, which is understandable given his perfect middleweight record and victories over names like Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa, and Marvin Vettori, “The Killa Gorilla” has the kind of power that has transcended from heavyweight down to middleweight.

With that said, Cannonier certainly can’t be counted out on July 2 in Las Vegas.

Do you think Jared Cannonier has what it takes to become the first man to defeat Israel Adesanya at middleweight?

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Israel Adesanya Responds To Alex Pereira: ‘These ain’t big pillow gloves, these are four ounce deadly weapons that I can’t wait to drive through your face’

Israel AdesanyaIsrael Adesanya doesn’t see Alex Pereira as too much of a threat in MMA, stating that this isn’t the same as kickboxing.  ‘The Last Stylebender’ is one of the best fighters in MMA at the moment, but rising UFC middleweight Pereira already has his eyes set on him. Although he only has two wins in […]

Israel Adesanya

Israel Adesanya doesn’t see Alex Pereira as too much of a threat in MMA, stating that this isn’t the same as kickboxing. 

‘The Last Stylebender’ is one of the best fighters in MMA at the moment, but rising UFC middleweight Pereira already has his eyes set on him. Although he only has two wins in the UFC and five wins overall as a professional MMA fighter, Pereira sees Adesanya as an easy target for him. 

Pereira was able to beat Adesanya twice in his kickboxing career. Once by unanimous decision and the other time by a devastating knockout with his sharp left hook. Pereira has been calling out Adesanya since he made his debut in the octagon. In just his third fight, he will be taking on Sean Strickland who is the fourth ranked fighter in the division. The fight is rumored to be a title eliminator as well.

Pereira has promised to be the fighter to dethrone the champ, Adesanya.

“Well if the fight is tomorrow, me and (Israel Adesanya), absolutely (I would beat him). But I know I just got into the organization, I have a path to follow here before I get the belt. So my focus is to become the world champion. So if he’s there or not, that’s where I wanna get. Let’s see who’s there by the time I get there. But when I get there and he’s still there, I will have no fear at all to take his belt. The one who got to be worried about is him because I beat him two times already.” (Transcribed by BJPenn.com)

Israel Adesanya may be looking past his upcoming fight with Jared Cannonier at UFC 276 by pondering on a potential bout with Pereira

“This isn’t kickboxing. This is mixed martial arts. These ain’t big pillow gloves. These are four ounce deadly weapons that I can’t wait to drive through (Alex Pereira’s) face after I go through Jared Cannonier.”

Adesanya first has to get through a tough matchup against Jared Cannonier, while Pereira has to defeat a tough fighter in Strickland. Pereira already has a devastating flying knee KO and a grinder out decision win in his first two fights.

If they do meet in the octagon, who do you think comes out victorious?

Israel Adesanya Plans To Finish Jared Cannonier Like He Did Paulo Costa, ‘Minus The Tap-Tap At The End’

Israel AdesanyaAhead of next weekend’s UFC 276 title headliner against Jared Cannonier, reigning middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya has predicted a similar performance in store for the challenger as to his display against Brazilian contender, Paulo Costa back in September 2020. Vying for his fifth successful defense of the undisputed middleweight championship, Israel Adesanya makes his second […]

Israel Adesanya

Ahead of next weekend’s UFC 276 title headliner against Jared Cannonier, reigning middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya has predicted a similar performance in store for the challenger as to his display against Brazilian contender, Paulo Costa back in September 2020.

Vying for his fifth successful defense of the undisputed middleweight championship, Israel Adesanya makes his second Octagon walk of the year at the International Fight Week event, having previously taken main event honors against common-foe, former champion, Robert Whittaker back in February.

Closing the curtain on UFC 271 at the Toyota Center, Adesanya landed a second career win over the former undisputed champion, landing a close, unanimous decision victory over Whittaker. 

As for Cannonier, the Texan headlines his first pay-per-view event for the organization when he draws Adesanya next Saturday – having earned his title tilt with an impressive second round ground strikes win over another common opponent, Derek Brunson. 

Israel Adesanya lays out his prediction for UFC 276 next weekend

Predicting how he plans to defeat Cannonier next weekend at the T-Mobile Arena, Adesanya recalled his one-sided ‘Fight Island’ knockout win over the aforenoted, Costa – however, insisted that he would likely refrain from hip-thrusting this time around.

“Prediction? I’ll give you a prediction,” Israel Adesanya told assembled media during a press conference in Australia. “It’s gonna be fun. It’s gonna be fun – it’s gonna look a lot like the (Paulo) Costa fight, minus the little tap-tap at the end, but it will look a lot like the Costa fight.” 

Headlining an Abu Dhabi, UAE card against Costa back in September 2020, Adesanya handed the Belo Horizonte native his first professional loss in the form of a second round high-kick and subsequent strikes knockout loss to successfully land his second title defense. 

Adesanya x Cannonier headlines the upcoming UFC 276 card as part of an undisputed championship doubleheader, with a featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and former champion, Max Holloway set to co-headline in a third title fight between the duo.

Cannonier: I Won’t Let Adesanya Goad Me Into His Game

UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier is determined not to make the same mistakes as champion Israel Adesanya’s previous challengers. After testing out two other weight classes, Cannonier has found a home at 185 pounds. Aside from a sole loss to Robert Whittaker, “The Killa Gorilla” has brushed aside every other opponent in the division. Having…

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UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier is determined not to make the same mistakes as champion Israel Adesanya’s previous challengers.

After testing out two other weight classes, Cannonier has found a home at 185 pounds. Aside from a sole loss to Robert Whittaker, “The Killa Gorilla” has brushed aside every other opponent in the division.

Having defeated former interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum in a 2021 main event and brutally dispatched top-five contender Derek Brunson earlier this year at UFC 271, Cannonier has cemented himself as the number one contender.

While he’ll look to add the first blemish to the champ’s middleweight record in the UFC 276 main event next month, Adesanya will hope to extend his dominance over the weight class with an impressive International Fight Week performance.

So far during his reign, Adesanya has defended his gold against Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, and Whittaker. Having analyzed how “The Last Stylebender” implemented his technical and skilled striking game against all four, Cannonier is looking to break the mold.

Speaking to MMA News’ own James Lynch just weeks out from his first UFC championship opportunity, “The Killa Gorilla” discussed his keys to victory, highlighting how important it is that he doesn’t fall into Adesanya’s striking traps.

“There’s gonna be a lot of technique being employed. It’s gonna be a very technical — it’s gonna be a striker’s delight, if you will. But it ain’t gonna be no striking match. This is an MMA fight,” said Cannonier. “So, I don’t plan on playing his striking game. He goads everybody into it. He confuses them, but then next thing you know, they’re in there getting juiced. They didn’t know they were playing right into his hands.

“I’m planning on neutralizing. I want him to be neutralized. On no level do I wanna be flaccid out there. If he does something, he’s gonna have to be super dynamic. He’s gonna have to be very dynamic,” added Cannonier. “He’s gonna have to be like, red alert type sh*t… For me, this is going to be very fun, very interesting.”

Catch our full interview with UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier below:

While he’s unsurprisingly entering his title challenge as a significant underdog, Cannonier will be looking to upset the MMA world on July 2 in Las Vegas, something that he seems very confident in his ability to do.

Should he shake up the middleweight division next month, it stands to reason that Vettori and Whittaker, who have already suffered two losses at the hands of Adesanya, will be right back into play at the top of the weight class.

Does Jared Cannonier have what it takes to hand Israel Adesanya his first loss at 185 pounds?

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Coach Explains Why Cannonier Is Tougher Opponent For Adesanya Than Costa

Israel Adesanya has his next opponent ahead of him and it could be the toughest yet. The UFC middleweight division is stacked with killers looking to dethrone the champion, Israel Adesanya. Next up will be Jared Cannonier, who takes his shot at the champ on July 2 at UFC 276. Cannonier is currently ranked in…

Continue Reading Coach Explains Why Cannonier Is Tougher Opponent For Adesanya Than Costa at MMA News.

Israel Adesanya has his next opponent ahead of him and it could be the toughest yet.

The UFC middleweight division is stacked with killers looking to dethrone the champion, Israel Adesanya. Next up will be Jared Cannonier, who takes his shot at the champ on July 2 at UFC 276.

Cannonier is currently ranked in the number two spot of the rankings and is riding a two-fight winning streak. Although Cannonier may be overlooked by fans and critics, Adesanya’s team sees the threat from a dangerous opponent in him.

Adesanya’s coach, Eugene Bareman spoke recently to Submission Radio about the differences between Cannonier and Adesnaya’s previous opponent Paulo Costa.

“Jared is not Paulo Costa… If Israel is picking him off, Jared has shown in the past that he has the mindset to change the strategy,” Bareman said via Sportskeeda. “He will start to press Israel a little bit. He won’t be as reluctant as Paulo Costa was. That’s just his mindset. He has a much stronger mindset and understanding, and he’s got a very good team behind him.”

The only loss of Adesanya’s professional career came when he made the leap to light heavyweight to take on Jan Blachowicz for the 205-pound title. At middleweight, Adesanya seems invincible, something that Cannonier is willing to test. Of his last five wins, four were by KO or TKO.

“So that is something that people underestimate about Jared. He is willing to – I don’t wanna say take risks – but take calculated judgments when the fight is not going his way and he needs to change something. And he’s willing to take a sharp turn to change it. That’s what makes him dangerous and that’s also, at the end of the day, what makes him vulnerable.”

This will be the fifth title defense for Adesanya. His last two defenses were by unanimous decision. Cannonier has only gone to decision twice in his last seven fights. If what Bareman says is true, they will be preparing for an aggressive Cannonier, and the fans could be in for a very exciting fight.

Do you think Jared Cannonier has what it takes to defeat Israel Adesanya?

Continue Reading Coach Explains Why Cannonier Is Tougher Opponent For Adesanya Than Costa at MMA News.

Rockhold Gives Cannonier A 20% Chance Of Beating Adesanya

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold has given a less-than-optimistic view of Jared Cannonier’s chances against reigning king Israel Adesanya. After testing his Octagon skills and recording knockouts at both heavyweight and light heavyweight, Cannonier has found a home at 155 pounds. In his six appearances in the division, “The Killa Gorilla” has gone 5-1,…

Continue Reading Rockhold Gives Cannonier A 20% Chance Of Beating Adesanya at MMA News.

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold has given a less-than-optimistic view of Jared Cannonier’s chances against reigning king Israel Adesanya.

After testing his Octagon skills and recording knockouts at both heavyweight and light heavyweight, Cannonier has found a home at 155 pounds. In his six appearances in the division, “The Killa Gorilla” has gone 5-1, with his sole loss coming against former champion Robert Whittaker in 2020.

Now, having rebounded with a main event victory over Kelvin Gastelum and a brutal ground-and-pound KO of Derek Brunson earlier this year, Cannonier has risen to #2 on the middleweight ladder and set his sights on Adesanya, whom he’ll look to dethrone at UFC 276 on July 2.

Despite being regarded as a heavy underdog, Cannonier has given a confident assessment of his preparation, and suggested that he’ll force the champion to change his approach when they share the cage this summer.

But one former titleholder isn’t buying it.

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Rockhold, who sat on the middleweight throne in late 2015 after getting the better of Chris Weidman, gave Cannonier just a 20% chance of adding the first blemish to Adesanya’s 185-pound record in the UFC 276 headliner.

“Cannonier’s got a 20% chance. He’s got a puncher’s chance,” said Rockhold. “Israel’s so long and effective, how he gets out of the way of a power-puncher like that. I don’t know, I don’t see it. He fights from so many angles. It’s gonna be tough for Cannonier to get through the power kicks, takedowns, or whatever he’s gonna try to do. You never know though, he’s a tough dude.”

Having defended his title four times against Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, and Whittaker, Adesanya will be looking to extend his run of dominance by adding Cannonier to his résumé on July 2.

Should he accomplish that feat, perhaps a bout with Rockhold will be in his future. The Californian is preparing for his return against top-five contender Paulo Costa and has expressed his desire to return to the middleweight mountaintop.

Do you agree with Luke Rockhold’s assessment of Jared Cannonier’s title chances?

Continue Reading Rockhold Gives Cannonier A 20% Chance Of Beating Adesanya at MMA News.