In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Jared Cannonier revealed that he passed up an opportunity that could have changed his MMA career forever. He revealed that he had an offer to face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, but an unfortunate injury prevented him from taking that opportunity. As fate would have it, Chimaev eventually won a majority decision over Usman in the co-main event in Abu Dhabi.
Cannonier explained that he was contacted to intervene and fight Chimaev. However, before he could confirm his intention to compete, he suffered an injury that kept him out of the game with only 10 days’ notice. Interestingly, the offer to fight Chimaev was first presented to Cannonier before being passed on to Usman, which could potentially put him in that important bout.
Cannonier has been a top-10 middleweight standout since 2018. He boasts an impressive 7-2 record in the division, with his only losses coming at the hands of Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker. His most recent notable performance was a split decision win over reigning champion Sean Strickland just 10 months ago.
When the UFC finally made a title offer 11 days before the fight, Cannonier was ready to accept. He was eager to take advantage of this opportunity, but as always, he wanted to speak with his coach first.
However, as he was preparing for a takedown by Chimaev during practice, a cruel twist of fate intervened. Unfortunately, he injured his anterior cruciate ligament during practice and an MRI confirmed the injury. This injury cost him a chance, and it slipped through his hands just an hour after he received it.
Due to the MCL injury, Cannonier will miss his scheduled fight with Roman Dolisez on December 2nd at UFC Austin. He is scheduled to undergo surgery to address an MCL injury that will no longer allow him to compete in December. Cannonier has already informed the UFC of the situation and is making any necessary adjustments.
This turn of events marks a significant setback for Cannonier, who had been successful and came close to winning the title at UFC 294. Nevertheless, Cannonier’s resilience and determination have been consistent throughout his MMA journey, and perhaps he will bounce back from his setbacks. This setback.
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