Israel Adesanya remains the UFC middleweight champion—but what’s next? The Nigerian-born New Zealander (22-1) returned to action in the main event of UFC 271 on Saturday night in Houston, where he took on Australia’s Robert Whittaker (23-6)…
Israel Adesanya remains the UFC middleweight champion—but what’s next? The Nigerian-born New Zealander (22-1) returned to action in the main event of UFC 271 on Saturday night in Houston, where he took on Australia’s Robert Whittaker (23-6)…
UFC middleweight contender Derek Brunson addressed his fans following a disappointing loss to Jared Cannonier. Brunson fell to Cannonier at UFC 271 via second-round knockout after a dominant opening round. He utilized his wrestling and nearly sunk in a rear-naked choke submission as the first round came to a close. However, Cannonier was able to…
UFC middleweight contender Derek Brunson addressed his fans following a disappointing loss to Jared Cannonier.
Brunson fell to Cannonier at UFC 271 via second-round knockout after a dominant opening round. He utilized his wrestling and nearly sunk in a rear-naked choke submission as the first round came to a close.
However, Cannonier was able to find his footing in the second round and overwhelm Brunson with strikes. He would eventually land a lead elbow that dropped Brunson and followed it up with heavy ground-and-pound shots.
The fight was built up as a No. 1 middleweight contender fight between two of the top-4 middleweights in the UFC. Cannonier will more than likely get the next shot at Israel Adesanya later this year.
Shortly after the loss, Brunson took to social media to address his fans and update them on how he’s doing physically and mentally.
Made a title push . Number 3 vs 4 in the world . I came up short . Life lessons . Im all good , sad but life will give you theses moments . I’ll pick myself up for one more fight . Blessings all
“Made a title push. Number 3 vs. 4 in the world,” Brunson said. “I came up short. Life lessons. I’m all good, sad but life will give you [these] moments.”
Entering UFC 271, Brunson was arguably the hottest middleweight in the UFC with five-straight wins. He hadn’t lost since falling to Adesanya at UFC 230 as the champion made his rise towards the title conversation.
Brunson has one more fight left on his deal and plans on competing once more in the Octagon before he calls it quits. Brunson made his UFC debut at UFC 155 following an up-and-down tenure in Strikeforce. Leading up to UFC 271, he alluded to retirement following the conclusion of his contract.
Who do you want to see Derek Brunson fight for his final UFC appearance?
UFC president Dana White has confirmed that top middleweight contender Jared Cannonier will get the next title shot against Israel Adesanya. Cannonier continued his rise up the middleweight rankings with a vicious knockout of Derek Brunson at UFC 271. After struggling with Brunson’s wrestling early in the fight, he found his rhythm in the second […]
UFC president Dana White has confirmed that top middleweight contender Jared Cannonier will get the next title shot against Israel Adesanya.
Cannonier continued his rise up the middleweight rankings with a vicious knockout of Derek Brunson at UFC 271. After struggling with Brunson’s wrestling early in the fight, he found his rhythm in the second and landed a flurry of strikes that finished Brunson.
Cannonier has now won two in a row and five of his last six bouts. Entering UFC 271, he earned a lopsided win over Kelvin Gastelum last August. Cannonier also earned finishes over the likes of Anderson Silva and Jack Hermansson en route to the title conversation.
The fight with Brunson was billed as a No. 1 contender fight, but nothing was certain regarding the next middleweight title bout. During his UFC 271 post-fight press conference, White affirmed that Cannonier will get the next shot at Adesanya.
Dana White Confirms Jared Cannonier/Israel Adesanya Is Next
“I was excited to see that fight to see how it played out,” White said. “It was an exciting fight. And yeah, I’m not going to say no to Cannonier.”
Adesanya escaped with another win over Whittaker at UFC 271, earning a unanimous decision victory. It was a much more competitive fight from beginning to end, and some believed that Whittaker even did enough to earn the win on the scorecards.
Cannonier has solidified himself as the No. 1 middleweight contender to face Adesanya later this year. During his post-fight interview, Adesanya hinted at a potential return in June, at the earliest.
For now, Cannonier will take some time off to celebrate the biggest win of his UFC tenure. He’ll look to shock the world later this year when he finally gets his shot at an elusive UFC title.
What is your early prediction for Jared Cannonier vs. Israel Adesanya?
Jared Cannonier emerged victorious from what appeared to be a middleweight number one contender fight at UFC 271. ‘The Killa Gorilla’ endured a tough first round but got after it in round two and ultimately scored a vicious KO win. Check out the highlights.
Jared Cannonier emerged victorious from what appeared to be a middleweight number one contender fight at UFC 271.
‘The Killa Gorilla’ endured a tough first round but got after it in round two and ultimately scored a vicious KO win.
UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier wants to prove that he can wrestle with the best of them, including UFC 271 opponent Derek Brunson. Cannonier and Brunson are set to meet in a middleweight showcase on the UFC 271 main card. Both men are vying for a potential title shot against the winner of Israel Adesanya…
UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier wants to prove that he can wrestle with the best of them, including UFC 271 opponent Derek Brunson.
Cannonier and Brunson are set to meet in a middleweight showcase on the UFC 271 main card. Both men are vying for a potential title shot against the winner of Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker.
Cannonier has always been known for his ferocious striking and intimidating presence in the Octagon. His grappling hasn’t been discussed as much by the MMA faithful, but he showed off superb takedown defense in recent wins over Kelvin Gastelum and Jack Hermansson.
Cannonier will face a tough test against Brunson, arguably the best wrestler in the middleweight division. During his UFC 271 media day press conference, Cannonier seemed to welcome the challenge.
“I can grapple. I train at The MMA Lab and we got good grapplers, D-1 level wrestlers that I’m learning from,” Cannonier said. “They don’t have to be the same size as me, but we got some big guys in there. I’ve trained with the little guys damn near my whole career. You see how far that’s gotten me.
Jared Cannonier, Image: 2019 Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
“Yeah, I can grapple too. I can wrestle too. I have a pair of wrestling shoes my damn self. They’re probably not as worn out as his, he’s been doing it way longer than me, but my mind allows me to be as good as these other guys when I need be. You may see me taking him down if the opportunity presents itself.”
Cannonier has won four of his last five fights over some of the best contenders in the division. He has fought at multiple weight classes during his UFC career but seems to have found a home at 185 pounds.
This is arguably Cannonier’s biggest fight to date and biggest test inside the cage. If he ends up being victorious against Brunson, he’ll likely need to utilize some grappling skills in the process.
What is your prediction for Jared Cannonier vs. Derek Brunson?
UFC president Dana White has confirmed that top middleweight contender Jared Cannonier will get the next title shot against Israel Adesanya. Cannonier continued his rise up the middleweight rankings with a vicious knockout of Derek Brunson at UFC 271. After struggling with Brunson’s wrestling early in the fight, he found his rhythm in the second […]
Jared Cannonier emerged victorious from what appeared to be a middleweight number one contender fight at UFC 271. ‘The Killa Gorilla’ endured a tough first round but got after it in round two and ultimately scored a vicious KO win. Check out the highlights.
