"If my wife wasn’t going to support me, bye" - When Jared Cannonier recounted tumultuous journey from U.S. military to UFC octagon
Jared Cannonier's path to the UFC octagon was anything but smooth. While working for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Alaska, a steady paycheck wasn't enough. Mixed Martial Arts was his calling, and he was determined to pursue it.
Appearing in an interview with Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole back in 2021, Cannonier spoke in length about his early days venturing into martial arts, ‘The Killa Gorilla’ said:
“The FAA was essentially a means to be able to do it, Of course, with the support of my wife, I was able to put in all those hours. I had this drive to do the martial arts. It wasn’t necessarily mixed martial arts, but I always had the drive to be a martial artist from being a kid watching them on TV, but especially from the Army where I got my first real taste of martial arts.”
Further thanking his wife’s support and contribution, the middleweight said:
“It was something I was going to do and I was willing to sacrifice a lot to do it. If my wife wasn’t going to support me, bye. If my work wasn’t going to support me, bye. My work supported me, but now I’m at the point where I can support myself.”
Cannonier's UFC odyssey began in 2015 when he stepped into the octagon as a heavyweight against the much larger Shawn Jordan. After a 1-1 run at heavyweight, he experimented with light heavyweight before finding his true weight class at middleweight. He has amassed a 13-4 record and established himself as a top contender.
Check out some of Jared Cannonier's top finishes in the UFC:
Jared Cannonier returns to the octagon against Nassourdine Imavov to headline UFC Louisville
UFC returns to Louisville, Kentucky, on June 8 for UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Imavov, headlined by a pivotal middleweight clash.
Ranked No. 4 in the middleweight division, Jared Cannonier seeks to continue his climb back to title contention after a loss to Israel Adesanya. He'll face the in-form Nassourdine Imavov, currently ranked No. 8, in a five-round main event.
Cannonier boasts consecutive wins over Sean Strickland and Marvin Vettori, both elite middleweights. A victory over Imavov would solidify his position and potentially earn him another shot at the belt.
Imavov, meanwhile, looks to build on his own momentum after defeating Roman Dolidze earlier this year. The 29-year-old Frenchman has overcome previous setbacks against Sean Strickland and Phil Hawes. Upsetting Cannonier would propel him into the middleweight division's top five.