UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier is not about to let Derek Brunson ride his victory over Darren Till straight to the top.
Cannonier, ranked third in the middleweight division, believes he deserves the winner of Adesanya vs Whittaker 2. Brunson may have called for a title shot immediately after he dispatched Darren Till with a submission, but he’s still below Cannonier in the division. Cannonier told Submission Radio that although he empathizes with Derek, won’t be letting Brunson jump the queue any time soon.
Cannonier Won’t Let Brunson Jump the Queue for Title Shot
“I understand his stance. He’s been doing this for a long time, he hasn’t had his title shot, he was close to his title shot, and then he ran into Izzy and now he’s on his way.
I don’t think he’s in a position to wait for a title shot, to be honest. He’s No. 5, he beat No. 7. I don’t think that does much. I think that just solidifies your position right there at contendership. I don’t think it makes you the No. 1 contender.
So, if he wants to be certified officially the No. 1 contender, he’d fight me. And then he can sit around and wait and be guaranteed the title shot.”
According to Cannonier, his higher ranking means that he’ll get the call to fight the champ first. Brunson can try and wrestle his way past Cannonier, gatekeeper to the title, but he may well be better off simply waiting.
Unfortunately for both fighters, Adesanya and Whittaker live in New Zealand and Australia, respectively, where strict COVID-19 regulations make travel extremely difficult. In fact, in Whittaker’s home of Sydney, all gyms remain closed.
Fans and fighters hoping to see the two clash again will have to wait a while. If both Cannonier and Brunson decide to wait it out, it may be a longer wait than either man wants before a title fight. That might suit Jared Cannonier, however.
“As far as if I wait and he waits, I’m getting the title shot first. If you look at the rankings, that’s just how it is. I mean, to be honest, I’m waiting for them to call me.
And if he says no, he won’t be the first one to say no to a fight with me. A bunch of these guys say no to me, a lot of these guys in the top of the division have said no to me.
So, I’m not surprised. Naturally, cause I’m ahead of him in the rankings. My resume of who I beat, the last four guys, got four wins in the division. The last four guys who I beat have all been better than the guys that he’s beat.
I know he’s on a winning streak, but my four out of five wins are better than his five out of what, five?”
If Australia’s COVID situation persists, a Cannonier vs Brunson fight may well be on the cards before Adesanya defends his title again. Perhaps even a Ciryl Gane-style interim title will be on the line.
Who do you want to see take on the champ first out of Brunson and Cannonier? Let us know in the comments.
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