Jared Cannonier recovering from arm surgery, targets No. 1 contender fight in return

Jared Cannonier explains what it was like to fight Robert Whittaker with a cracked arm – and looks toward potential return matchups.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Jared Cannonier was early in the most high-profile fight of his life when he realized something was wrong.

At October’s UFC 254 event, Cannonier (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) fought in a potential No. 1 contender fight against former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. Minutes into Round 1, Cannonier said he encountered a major problem.

“Initially, I knew I had messed up by the way I blocked the kick by extending my frame – by framing out,” Cannonier recently told MMA Junkie. “I took all the kick in that one arm. At first, I thought to myself, ‘You can’t do that, that’s how you break your arm.’ I opened and closed my hand and felt the movement in there. It pretty much confirmed what happened.”

Standing in front of one of the best 185-pound fighters in the world with a broken arm is less than ideal. However, Cannonier didn’t have too much time to dwell on the problem. Most fighters don’t prepare to fight with broken bones, so Cannonier refocused on the task in front of him.

“It was like microseconds of an assessment, after that it was, ‘All right, what can I do to get this win?’” Cannonier said. “For me, I think the big problem was I’m accustomed to using my hands a lot and using both hands in conjunction with each other. … I wasn’t just going to let the man win because I got a boo-boo on my arm.”

Cannonier hung in the fight for the final two-and-a-half rounds but dropped a unanimous decision to Whittaker. Despite the loss, Cannonier said his self-belief and confidence weren’t hindered. He was severely disabled, yet competitive with a former UFC champion.

“Those are all things we can gain energy from, motivation from, inspiration from,” Cannonier said. “Again, I don’t like to play into my ego, so I don’t tap into that side of things. For me, mostly it’s a learning experience. … I felt like, ‘I’m able to win this fight.’ I don’t know. That’s just me. I know I’m able to win any fight. Being injured didn’t really deter that factor in me. I just had to figure out another way to make that happen.

Since he returned to the United States, Cannonier underwent surgery on his left arm to repair a fractured ulna. His recovery is going well with the help of ARIS Physical Therapy and The MMA Lab, he said. The experts have told him he could return as early as March, but Cannonier won’t rush. He said he’s setting his sights on a later timeline.

Regardless of when he makes the walk again, Cannonier thinks he’ll pick up where he left off: A No. 1 contender fight.

“I expect when I come back to be in a position right where I was,” Cannonier said. “You know what I’m saying? Right where I left off, one more fight earns me a title shot. Again, that’s the goal, to get that title belt. That belts going to be mine. This is only a bump in the road – a speed bump that I went over a little too fast maybe.”

As for matchups, there are a number of different options. Cannonier’s speedy ascent up the UFC’s 185-pound ladder has opened the doors for numerous fresh top-10 matchups.

“Of course (Paulo) Costa, Darren Till, all those guys – all those top 10 guys who are making moves to get into the position to get a shot at the title,” Cannonier said. “Like you said, Darren Till (or) (Derek) Brunson. Uriah Hall is in there. He just had a pretty good win. I just saw he’s been scheduled to fight Chris Weidman. That’s definitely a fight that will get him there. It will definitely get Weidman back in the direction of the title, as well. So, there are a lot of things happening. It’s unfortunate that I’m in the position I am where I have to take a step back yet again. Luckily, this isn’t going to be as long of a recovery.

“… When I get back, it’s going to be a better version of what you guys saw and could’ve potentially seen Oct. 24. I’m only excited for what’s going to happen in the future, but again, in the present, I do everything I have to do to make that happen.”