One of the most unique fighters in the UFC roster is Jared Cannonier. Why? Well, he is the type of fighter that went from being a heavyweight to now a middleweight. Usually, fighters move up in weight in order to avoid weight cuts but to cut across 3 weight divisions is an interesting MMA path.
UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya has gone on record to say that he wanted to face Cannonier as he felt like a unique match-up and added that he is his dark horse of the division. For those not aware, dark horses are usually not a big name but end up performing well, some call them underdogs as well.
Cannonier was one win away from fighting for the title, but unfortunately, Robert Whittaker spoiled his plans by beating him back in UFC 254. There is no shame in losing to Whittaker, a former champion but Cannonier has learned a lot from the loss and might come back stronger.
Many did not think Cannonier would even climb such a high ranking. He made an impressive middleweight debut against David Branch on short notice. Many were saying that his grappling is not yet high level but Cannonier went on to shock most fans by knocking out Branch.
After that impressive performance, many feared just how powerful Cannonier is. It seems his power from the heavyweight did not diminish which is scary for most fighters. He then went on to beat Anderson Silva and Jack Hermansson. He needed just one more win to secure a title shot but fell short against Robert Whittaker.
Now he is ready to get back in the winning column and work his way up to another title shot. He was originally scheduled to face Paulo Costa but Costa pulled out. Kelvin Gastelum was ready to step in and fight for a top contender spot. Will Cannonier knock a durable Gastelum? It is also worth noting that Gastelum might get cut from the UFC if he doesn’t win the fight, so it is a must-win for Gastelum.
