Jared Cannonier Wants Title Shot Or Contender After Beating Gastelum
Jared Cannonier knows exactly what he wants after defeating Kelvin Gastelum.
Cannonier and Gastelum did battle in the main event of UFC Vegas 34. The action took place this past Saturday night (Aug. 21). Both men made it to the final horn. After five rounds of action, Cannonier scooped up the unanimous decision victory.
During a post-fight media scrum, Cannonier made it clear that he’s only interested in fighting for the UFC Middleweight gold or competing in a number one contender match next (h/t MMAJunkie.com).
“It’s either title or contender. It was supposed to be (Paulo) Costa, but that didn’t happen. I really need to fight. I don’t think (Israel Adesanya) or Robert (Whittaker) are going to fight until next year. So that’s what? Four, five, six months, even? Then, another three and four months after that, I can’t wait that long. So who knows, I may end up taking the fight.”
It’s a solid rebound win for Cannonier, who was coming off a unanimous decision defeat to former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker. Cannonier will likely remain at the number three spot on the official UFC middleweight rankings. He has gone 4-1 in his last five bouts.
Gastelum can’t seem to shake his misfortune. He’s lost five of his last six outings. For many, it’s a disappointing slide as Gastelum had an instant classic with current UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya back in 2019.
Cannonier may have to wait if he’s expecting a title opportunity anytime soon. It was reported that a title rematch between Adesanya and Whittaker has been pushed back to 2022 due to COVID-19 restrictions globally. As far as other top middleweights are concerned, Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori are set to share the Octagon on Oct. 23.
Who do you want Jared Cannonier to fight next?
