Jared Cannonier plans to knock out Marvin Vettori and fight Israel Adesanya later this year.
On June 17, Cannonier returns to the Octagon for his sixteenth fight in the UFC. ‘Killa Gorilla,’ ranked number four, has been matched up against Marvin Vettori, ranked number three, for an intriguing middleweight bout to headline UFC Vegas 75.
Ahead of his upcoming fight, Cannonier joined James Lynch of MiddleEasy to discuss various topics. When asked how quickly he plans to get a finish, the 39-year-old responded by saying:
“[I’m getting a finish] ASAP. As soon as the ref says go, I’m putting it on him. I ain’t gonna waste no time. Pressure, aggression, and passion that I’ve put into this whole camp, that I’ve put into my whole career. I’m just gonna let it all go in there in the Octagon. It’s gonna be fun. I wanna go in there, have some fun. I just love this sport.”
Cannonier last fought in December 2022, defeating Sean Strickland by split decision. Meanwhile, Vettori is coming off a unanimous decision win against Roman Dolidze on March 18.
The winner of the UFC Vegas 75 main event will likely need one more win before earning another title shot. With that said, emerging uninjured could lead to a massive opportunity in September.
Jared Cannonier hopes to fight Israel Adesanya in Sydney after defeating Marvin Vettori
On September 9, the UFC returns to Syndey, Australia, for a pay-per-view event. Israel Adesanya wants to headline the event, but it’s unclear if there will be a top title challenger available. The plan is for the winner of Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis to have a quick turnaround, assuming they won’t be injured.
If Whittaker/Du Plessis isn’t ready, the UFC might need Jared Cannonier or Marvin Vettori to step in. During the same interview with Middle Easy, Cannonier had this to say about the situation:
“I’m getting ready. I will definitely be ready to fight in Sydney. My passport is up to date, my bags will be packed, and the way I plan on performing, I’m definitely gonna be ready to step in and make it happen… Either he [Adesanya] goes up to light heavyweight and fight Jamahal [Hill] out there or they have no choice but to put me in there because I’m definitely calling for that after I put Marvin’s lights out.”
Before worrying about what’s next, Cannonier has a tough test waiting at UFC Vegas 75. It’ll be intriguing to see if ‘Killa Gorilla’ can take out Vettori and find himself in a perfect position to earn another middleweight title shot.
