Jared Cannonier: I Know I Can Knock Anderson Silva Out
Jared Cannonier is heading into the biggest fight of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career.
He has a chance to make a name for himself when he faces the legendary Anderson “The Spider” Silva at UFC 237 this weekend (Sat. May 11, 2019). Speaking to MMA Fighting recently, Cannonier said he believes he has everything it takes to render the Brazilian unconscious in front of his native crowd:
”I’m a lot faster than a lot of people he’s fought, and I hit a lot harder than a lot of people he’s fought,” Cannonier said. “That gives me a better chance of actually knocking him out, especially if he wants to stand up and let me hit him, like he has done to some other people.
“That, and I have supreme confidence, I know I can knock him out. All I gotta do is touch him. He’s no different from the next man. He can get knocked out, too. All I gotta do is touch your chin or hit the up side of your head, you know? Or I can just wrap my arms around your neck and choke you out.
“Everybody works the same, everybody has a brain, a heart, a liver, and I’ve learned many ways how to take those punches. So, yeah, I’m more than confident that I can finish him. Anybody is capable of finishing anybody, in this sport anybody is capable of getting a finish. That’s only a matter of how. Can we create those moments?”
Cannonier comes off a big TKO victory over David Branch in November. It was his first win in two fights after being bested by both Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz. As for Silva, he has only won one fight since 2012, a unanimous decision over Derek Brunson in February 2017.
When they meet inside the cage, Cannonier is hoping to keep that stat alive by finishing the former 185-pound champ:
”That’s just simple physiology, right? You hit any man on the jaw and they are going to go unconscious,” Cannonier said. “He’s good at not getting hit in the head, he’s got really good head movement, he knows how to uses his hands and get his hands in the way of stuff like that, and I’m aware of all these things.
“But, again, I know what I’m capable of, I know I can get around all that stuff. It’s only a matter of when. Let the fight play out. I know we’re gonna have to fight, we’re gonna get close to him and hit each there. When he’s close enough to hit me, I’m close enough to hit him. And like I just said, if I hit you I know I’m able to knock you out.
“Not saying all I gotta do is hit you to knock you out, it’s gotta be the right punch, but, yeah, I know I have the ability to do. Or I can just hit you to make you change your thinking. I don’t have to knock you out, I can hit you and make you rethink your decision, just control the fight.”
