Is UFC fighter Jared Cannonier from Alaska?
Jared Cannonier has had an inspiring life trajectory and an interesting UFC career trajectory. While not a lot is known about Cannonier's early life, we know that he was in the U.S. Army and spent a considerable amount of time in the freezing climate of Alaska. But how exactly is Cannonier associated with the state? Let's find out.
Is UFC fighter Jared Cannonier from Alaska?
Jared Cannonier is not from Alaska. He was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. However, he has many links to Alaska. The UFC middleweight worked for the Federal Aviation Administration in Anchorage, Alaska as an air traffic control mechanic. He took up the job after being discharged by the U.S. Army for testing positive for marijuana in a drug test.
Cannonier also trains at Legacy Jiu Jitsu, Alaska, and is a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The UFC title challenger is also affiliated with another gym, The MMA Lab in Glendale, Arizona. 'The Killa Gorilla' seemingly lives in Phoenix, Arizona, given one of his Instagram posts shows the fighter cooking in a garden at a house in the state.
Cannonier has competed in three weight classes during his UFC career. He has been a perennial contender in the middleweight division and has competed against some of the most elite fighters like Robert Whittaker, Sean Strickland, and Israel Adesanya, among others.
However, it hasn't always been big-name fights for the 40-year-old, who started his career in small Alaska regional events and the Alaska Fighting Championship. Cannonier remained undefeated in the state, both as a professional and amateur MMA fighter. After his success on the Alaska regional circuit, the UFC finally signed 'The Killa Gorilla' in 2015 when he was still living in Alaska.
Jared Cannonier bulked up to over 300 pounds while living in Alaska
Jared Cannonier started his UFC career in the heavyweight division and dropped to light heavyweight and ultimately settled in the middleweight over the next few years. At 5'11", Cannonier didn't possess the physical attributes to compete against the much longer and naturally bigger fighters at heavyweight and light heavyweight, which is evident from his mixed success in those divisions.
Competing in those weight classes was not a conscious choice but a by-product of his weight gain from living in the cold weather of Alaska. In an August 2021 interview with ESPN MMA, Cannonier's wife, Cat, explained that he gained massive amounts of weight and walked around at over 300 pounds:
"When me and Jared first got together, he wasn't really that big. We were young, didn't have kids, he was swole... in shape. He was around 225 pounds and had these massive in-shape arms. When we were in Alaska, we were cold and kind of eating for comfort. So that's when we really got heavy." [H/T ESPN MMA]
Cannonier, who always knew that losing weight was a prerequisite for him to compete in his natural weight class, continued to work on it during his time in Anchorage, Alaska. The couple saved enough money to move to Arizona, which helped 'Killa Gorilla' drop the weight and elevate his professional MMA career in subsequent years.