Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland competed in a five-round battle in the latter half of 2022. The fight featured a standup battle, and Cannonier walked away with a split-decision victory. Nevertheless, Cannonier remains proud of defeating Strickland but lashed out at detractors for not crediting the win.
Strickland’s fight against Paulo Costa at UFC 300 did not entertain the fans. However, ex-champion TJ Dillashaw accused fighters of a ‘run on bike’ strategy against Strickland. As such, Jared Cannonier wanted credit for holding firm and fighting back against ‘Tarzan’ when most fighters moved backward due to pressure.
When he fought me, he wasn’t doing that. And people need to take note of that. I’m getting sick and tired of people saying,’ You barely won that fight.’ But he didn’t fight me the way he fights… People need to take note of that. He didn’t fight me the way he’s been fighting these guys.
Jared Cannonier via MMA Junkie
Strickland’s striking defense and pressure remain amongst the best in the UFC. As such, previous opponents Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa refused to stand firm and engage with Strickland. This made Cannonier angry as he pointed to the visible damage he had done to Strickland. Moreover, the ex-title challenger believed he had done enough to win.
Jared Cannonier is “sick and tired” over the lack of credit for his win over Sean Strickland 😤
“When he fought me he wasn’t (walking forward), and people need to take note of that.”
(via @MikeBohn) pic.twitter.com/6HIsIriU9T
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) June 5, 2024
Cannonier doesn’t have any beef with Strickland but just wanted the credit for his performance. Moreover, he also praised Strickland for his pressure-heavy fighting style and for defeating Costa at UFC 302. Moreover, he supports Strickland’s decision to sit out and wait for a title shot. On the other hand, Cannonier awaits a challenge from a French middleweight fighter this week.
Why is Jared Cannonier fighting Nassourdine Imavov?
Jared Cannonier is one of the top contenders in the UFC’s middleweight division. Why is he not in the title conversation or fighting opponents above his rankings? Cannonier addressed this during his interview with MMA Junkie.
Jared Cannonier vs Nassourdine Imavov for UFC on ESPN 57 main event (Image via Imago/X)The #4 ranking middleweight said he expected a rematch with Sean Strickland or Robert Whittaker. Despite supporting Strickland’s decision to wait it out, Cannonier admitted he couldn’t stay idle. Thus, he chose to fight Nassourdine Imavov.
When the time came, I was hoping maybe for a rematch with Strickland, maybe a rematch with Whittaker, a title fight, something better than a No. 8-ranked guy. But these crumbs was all they had left for me. Instead of sitting on the shelf, I’m not inclined to waiting and stuff like that.
Jared Cannonier via MMA Junkie
Cannonier expressed that he is aiming for a record-breaking performance, potentially another Fight of the Night or Performance of the Night performance. Now that he has fully recovered from his injuries, ‘The Killa Gorilla’ aims to run through the division until there is no other opponent to face other than the champion. It remains to be seen if Cannonier extends his winning streak on Saturday night.
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