- Jared Cannonier weighed in on the potential Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya title fight
- “The Killa Gorilla” is down to rematch Sean Strickland if the winner gets a title shot
Jared Cannonier thinks Israel Adesanya would get the better of Dricus du Plessis ahead of their potential title fight. As for himself, “The Killa Gorilla” is fine taking on Sean Strickland once again if the UFC will consider it a title eliminator match.
Jared backs Izzy
Speaking to Helen Yee, Cannonier said Izzy has all the advantage over Du Plessis given that he has given his body enough time to rest. Even though “Stillknocks” has proven that he could grapple, Cannonier still thinks Adesanya is the better fighter.
“I would lean towards Israel in that fight. I think he’s had some time off and when you have as much time as he had off, when you come back, for me specifically when I come back after time off I feel like I’m a much better fighter than I was. So I would assume that just you know that applies universally,” Cannonier explained.
“Israel is an intelligent fighter as well so I’m sure he’s taking advantage of his time off. I think he’s a better counter-striker. If Dricus wants to put the pressure on him, it may not be to his benefit. With that being said, Dricus is a buzzsaw. He can definitely get a hold of him, apparently he’s strong so if he gets a hold of Israel with his grappling it may not go too well for him. I do not like picking fights but I will give my analysis at every turn so I would lean more towards Israel in that fight,” he added.
Anything for the title
Cannonier has been back in training and is getting ready for his next move. At this point, “The Killa Gorilla” agrees that a rematch with Strickland makes sense for him only if the winner would be guaranteed a title shot.
“I want the title shot. I’m in the position to where I should be reaching for the title shot not fighting for you know, shits and giggles so if they call me with Sean Strickland for the title fight, yeah. If they call me with Sean Strickland and say it’s not for the title fight, what’s the point of that? I mean he’s the former champ, he should be well high in the rankings how come I wouldn’t get a title shot when I beat him again. So, yes I would be more than happy to do that if, big if, they don’t give me the title,” Cannonier pointed out.
Cannonier previously said that he prefers to face Khamzat Chimaev than any other middleweight. However, he still prioritizes the title shot. As for Du Plessis, he already expressed his desire to defend his title against Adesanya in a dream fight in Africa.
See Cannonier’s full interview below:
