Jared Cannonier: Still Here, Still Improving

Eleven months removed from his last UFC outing, former middleweight title challenger Jared Cannonier is back to show the world that he’s still a serious player in the middleweight division. Cannonier currently sits 11th in the Meta UFC Rankings, and faces off against 12th-ranked Englishman Christian Leroy Duncan in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman in Oklahoma City on Saturday night.

The fight offers a chance for Cannonier to bounce back into the win column after a disappointing loss to Michael “Venom” Page last time out. But, despite facing his second rangy striker from the UK in successive bouts, “Tha Killa Gorilla” is treating this fight as a completely different test, with a completely different approach, right down to his fight week meals.

“One of the things that I pulled from that fight is I won't be eating Italian prior to fights ever again. So yeah, that really wasn't a fun time that night,” he said. “But no, I don't really try to make any associations between that one and this one. I just didn't have a good night that night, and I don't even want to experience an iota of that with this one. So, I won't be eating Italian the night before, or the day of, and yeah, I’m going to get my opponent this time.”

While Cannonier doesn’t draw any parallels between the fighting styles of Page and Duncan, he did pay tribute to the former Cage Warriors middleweight champion’s performances since making the jump to the UFC and explained that his job is to halt “CLD’s” momentum in the name of pushing his own stock back up towards the division’s top contenders once again.

“I think he's a really good athlete,” said Cannonier. “He's been doing his thing in the UFC; he's made his way up. Now he's in the rankings and taking that next step. So, here I am. I haven't been able to win as consistently as I would like, so therefore, I'm having to welcome these guys into the division. That's been my career for the last couple of years… These are really good opportunities for me to maintain my position and step and start redirecting myself back towards that title. So, for that, I am appreciative to the company for this matchup. After coming off a loss, this is a fight that gets me still in that area.”

Cannonier seems to defy age and time. The 42-year-old is in ridiculously good condition, even for a professional fighter, and he isn’t showing any signs of any major physical decay due to his age. Instead, he said he’s continuing to improve his martial arts skillset, and he is excited to showcase the latest iteration of his arsenal against Duncan this weekend.

“As far as skill-wise, I've only gotten better, so… mo’ better!” he smiled. “I may be getting mo’ older, you know what I mean? Mo levels, but I'm also getting mo’ better. So, it's gonna be harder and harder. I've been in the top five, top 10 for a number of years, and I've been getting better, honing my skills against these top five, top 10, top 15 opponents, future title challengers, perhaps – unless I have something to say about that. And I have something to say about that this fight, and every other fight going forward.”

Duncan will present a tall, rangy, mobile target on fight night, and Cannonier has seen from his tape study that the Englishman thrives when he gets to dictate the tempo of the fight. The key to victory, he said, lies in being the roadblock to that forward momentum and assuming control of the fight himself.

“I definitely don't want to let him set the pace,” he explained. “He does very well when he's able to go. So, I have to keep him busy. I'm gonna keep him busy, keep him guessing, keep him reacting, and however the fight goes, based off that… This is generally how I fight anyway. When the ref says go, I'm gonna go get you. I've gotten better at doing that, I feel. I'm gonna pull out some more of my tricks, some more of my tools that I've been sharpening. I’m getting better at using them, and I want to use them this fight.

“I can come up with a whole bunch of things. I got a list of what I used to call $50,000 moves. Now they're $100,000 moves, so I should really be using those $100,000 moves because I feel like if I land one of these moves, the fight's over, and if I land and the fight's over, that's going to be a bonus $100,000 move… So yes, there's a lot that I haven't really shown that I'm capable of. At the same time, I also want to win. I also want to be safe. I ain't trying to be flashy, and I'm not trying to appeal to whoever grants the bonuses. I'm trying to appeal to whatever is going to get my hand raised. So, there it is.”

With career wins over the likes of Anderson Silva, Kelvin Gastelum, Sean Strickland and Marvin Vettori on his record, Cannonier knows what it’s like to face title fight-caliber opposition and come away with his hand raised. And he wants to use Saturday night’s fight with rising star Duncan as an opportunity to show that he’s not just still a factor in the 185-pound division; he’s getting better, too.

“I'm still here. I'm always getting better,” he said. “I say this every time, and that's ‘still still.’ You know what I mean? My walkout song name is ‘Still Off Da Chain’ – emphasis on the ‘Still’. I'm still off the chain. I'm still here. I'm still dangerous. I'm still getting better. The only thing that's not gonna be still is my level of martial arts prowess.”

Cannonier’s last octagon appearance was in June 2023 when he fought Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title. He also competed against Robert Whittaker in May 2023. He was slated to fight Ikram Aliskerov in March 2024, but had to withdraw due to injury. He was also pulled from UFC on ESPN 54 in April 2024 due to a fight booking issue.

Cannonier has fought professionally for 16 years. He is 39 years old and currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona. His professional MMA record is 17 wins and 12 losses.

He is a former collegiate wrestler and a former firefighter. Cannonier is married to wife, Mya Cannonier. They have five children.

Before joining the UFC, Cannonier competed in various promotions including King of the Cage and Legacy Fighting Championship. He made his UFC debut in 2015, winning his first three fights. However, he has struggled to maintain consistency in the promotion. His most notable wins include his knockout victory over Jack Hermansson in 2019 and his unanimous decision win over Robert Whittaker in 2022.

Cannonier is known for his devastating knockout power and his ability to finish fights. However, he has also shown a willingness to go the distance when necessary. His fight against Kelvin Gastelum in 2021, which he won via split decision, is a testament to his toughness and resilience.

Cannonier is considered one of the most dangerous strikers in the middleweight division. His boxing and kickboxing skills are top-notch, and he has a knack for landing powerful shots. His opponents often have to respect his striking power, which can open up opportunities for him to implement his grappling.

Cannonier's path to a middleweight title shot has been a long and winding one. He has faced some of the toughest competition in the division, and he has always been in the mix. With his continued improvement and determination, it is possible that he will once again find himself in contention for the middleweight championship.

Looking ahead, Cannonier aims to make a statement against Duncan and prove that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the middleweight division. He is confident that he has the skills and experience to overcome any challenge that comes his way.

UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman takes place on Saturday, July 18, 2026, at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The preliminary card begins at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT, with the main card starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event can be streamed live on Paramount+.