When the cameras landed on UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier at UFC 274, his stony expression was a stark contrast to the antics of Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann behind him. On The MMA Hour, Cannonier told his side of the story.
“I’m there to watch the fights. I’m there to watch the circus, not be a part of the circus. No offense to anybody involved, I respect each and every one of my cohorts. I’m just doing me. They’re doing them – that’s me. I’m staying in my zone, I’m staying in my energy, I’m protecting my energy.
Cannonier Explains Viral UFC 274 Crowd Clip: “I’m not there to be a part of the circus”
I really don’t like being surrounded by a lot of people who I don’t know, who I’m not familiar with, who I don’t trust. I guess it’s a stigma I picked up from the army – I don’t like being around a lot of people.”
Cannonier made it very clear that, when it comes to the UFC, he’s all business. Considering that he’s getting a long-awaited title shot against Israel Adesanya next month, that checks out.
“I had a neutral look on my face, and I noticed the camera was right there; people see a camera and they start acting all kinds of ways, with that artificial eye watching them, people act all kinds of ways.
Like I said, I’m not there to be a part of the circus. I’m there to watch. I was there to watch some fights, to learn, to be right there – I was right there front and center. I was able to project myself very easily into these fights. I was tensing up and moving – I was watching fights, so that’s what I was doing. Everybody else was having a good time, which is fine, because I was, too. But that’s me.
I’m not a real party animal. I’m certainly not drinking at this point and time, especially not drinking beer or hard liquor.” Cannonier continued, describing how rowdy the two Scouse fighters were getting. “Molly, she was getting a little rowdy.
Every time I look up at the screen, I kept seeing her drink, hovering above our heads. Me and my wife, we got a little bit of beer on the back of us, but no biggie. It’s all good. They didn’t douse us. We got spritzed a little bit every now and again.
They were rowdy man, especially Molly, man. She’s cool. They’re all cool. I have no qualms with any of them. But they was doing them, and I can’t hate on them. I’m not going to sit here and judge anybody based off of what they do, based of their upbringing, their experiences.
S***, they have every right to do what they want to do, as long as they aren’t hurting anybody or impeding nobody else from doing what they want to do, they can do whatever the hell they want to do.”Do you agree with Jared Cannonier? Let us know in the comments.
