Jared Cannonier explains how close he came to replacing Sean Strickland at UFC 293

Jared Cannonier Reveals How Close He Came to Stepping into the Octagon at UFC 293

Jared Cannonier, the MMA powerhouse, recently shared some fascinating insights into his experience at UFC 293. While he didn’t get the second title shot he might have hoped for, he was prepared and ready to step into the Octagon if the need arose.

At UFC 293, Cannonier served as the backup fighter for the main event title matchup between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland. What made this particularly intriguing was that Cannonier had squared off against both fighters just last year – he lost a title fight to Adesanya and triumphed over Strickland in a main event clash in December. So, when fight week rolled around, he was fully prepped and eager to jump into the event if his services were required. And they very nearly were.

Cannonier recounted the moment when things started to get serious: “I woke up, it was Tuesday, we were doing check-ins, and I ran into Sean. He was signing his posters, and he was telling us the same story that got out, that he was out on a beach somewhere greeting fans—you know how fans are, they come up to you—and one of them said some slick s*** to him, and he gave him a nice one to the body and went along his day. There was the potential of that coming out. You know how some people are, they’ll press charges and try to get some attention or even a paycheck out of it. So it was one of those situations.”

According to Cannonier, rumors started swirling that the fight could be in jeopardy, and he was advised to stay ready. He explained, “That’s what I heard. That’s the story that I got from him and then the next day I woke up, I was hearing stories from other sources that this fight could potentially be in jeopardy, stay ready, stay prepared.”

However, it didn’t get to the point where the UFC formally approached Cannonier to step in. He mentioned that his head coach, John Crouch, even booked a flight to Sydney to corner him but decided not to go at the last minute. “It got close—Crouch was about to fly out. He was supposed to fly out. He was at the airport, they were calling him for boarding and stuff. He was about to board, and then he was looking—I guess he found some video of Sean doing media day stuff as if he was still fighting, so he decided to pull the plug and not come, and it never turned into anything.”

Despite the rollercoaster of uncertainty, Cannonier maintained his focus on making weight. “If it happened, that would have been funny as hell, and I would have been ready to swoop in and save the day. It was kind of crazy,” he remarked.

As the fight night unfolded, Sean Strickland pulled off one of the most significant upsets in MMA history by dominating Adesanya to claim the middleweight title. Cannonier, like everyone else, was left stunned. “I’ll never count anybody out in the sport,” he admitted. “Anybody who does MMA at this level has the potential to win the fight. But the chances of Sean Strickland fighting the way Sean Strickland fights and succeeding, for me, were slim. I didn’t think I was going to see what happened happen.”

Despite not getting the chance to fight for the belt at UFC 293, Cannonier viewed the event positively. “All I had to do was get to the weight cut, make the weight, and then let everything else fall into place,” he reflected. “The fight almost fell into place, that was crazy for me.”

Cannonier also left with a sense of optimism, believing that he’s in a better position than ever to secure a title fight. “I’m in a better position to get a title fight sooner than later, and I’m better than ever. The cards stack up in my favor. I’ve already beaten the new champ, and I feel like that gives me a good backing to get the next title fight, especially since I beat him recently.”

So, while he didn’t get the spotlight at UFC 293, Jared Cannonier’s readiness and determination have put him in a prime position for future championship opportunities. The MMA world will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on his next moves in the octagon.

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More about UFC 293 Drama

• UFC 293 Event Recap
• Jared Cannonier’s UFC Profile
• Sean Strickland’s UFC Profile
• Israel Adesanya’s UFC Profile
• MMA News and Updates
• UFC Official Website