Jared Cannonier
Active 2015–present · rated in 4 editions · peak overall 85.0
Scouting report
Achieving the feat of winning UFC bouts across three separate weight divisions before challenging Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title, Jared "The Killa Gorilla" Cannonier brings power to every exchange. A native of Dallas, Texas, fighting out of the MMA Lab, Cannonier breaks down opponents with leg kicks and counter-hooks, fueled by a 91 Strength rating and 88 Boxing.
Peak ratings
By edition
Upon dropping to middleweight in late 2018, Cannonier went on a three-fight knockout streak, stopping David Branch in round two at UFC 230 in Madison Square Garden, finishing Anderson Silva with leg kicks in Rio at UFC 237, and stopping Jack Hermansson with punches in Copenhagen. His punching power, leg kicks, and physical strength are reflected in an 87 Boxing and 90 Strength.
Cannonier defeated Kelvin Gastelum in a five-round Las Vegas main event and knocked out Derek Brunson with elbows at UFC 271 in Houston to earn a title shot, despite dropping a decision to Robert Whittaker at UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi. His hooks, leg kicks, and durability justify his 88 Boxing and 87 Kickboxing.
Cannonier lost a five-round decision to Israel Adesanya at UFC 276, defeated Sean Strickland in a five-round split decision in Las Vegas, outpointed Marvin Vettori in June 2023, and lost by fourth-round TKO to Nassourdine Imavov in Louisville. His volume boxing, power, and pace anchor his 88 Boxing and 86 Kickboxing.
Jared Cannonier, the ex-soldier who found his weight class late
Jared Cannonier served three years in the United States Army, then worked in Alaska, where he made his professional debut in 2011. He debuted in the big promotion at heavyweight in 2015 and was knocked out by Shawn Jordan in the first round. He later dropped to light heavyweight and then to middleweight, where he found his best form. There he beat Anderson Silva with a leg kick stoppage in 2019 and challenged Israel Adesanya for the title in July 2022.
Cannonier, by attribute
Boxing. Rated 88. He landed a record 241 significant strikes against Marvin Vettori in June 2023, the most in a middleweight fight.
Kickboxing. Nearly level with his boxing. The leg kick that ended Anderson Silva in the first round of their May 2019 fight is a good example.
Wrestling. Adequate at 80. He beat Kelvin Gastelum by decision in 2021 and Brunson by knockout in 2022.
BJJ. The lowest number on his card. Most of his notable wins came on the feet.
Strength. The top of the card at 91. He began his run at heavyweight.
Durability. Solid. He went the distance with Robert Whittaker in 2020 and lost a unanimous decision.
Cardio. Good. He finished Jack Hermansson in the second round of a main event in 2019 and out-landed Vettori by a record margin over three rounds.
Fight IQ. Reasonable. He beat Sean Strickland by split decision in December 2022.
Strength at 91 explains the finishes
His 91 in strength is the top number on his card in his best edition, which is the 2020 one at 85 overall, and the results follow. Brunson was knocked out in round two in February 2022. David Branch was stopped in round two in November 2018. Hermansson was stopped in the second in 2019. When he connects, opponents rarely stay in the fight for long.
The floor game: BJJ at 74
BJJ is rated 74, the lowest on his card by a noticeable margin. If a fight is decided on the mat, he has fewer answers than most of his rivals. His 2017 loss to Glover Teixeira at light heavyweight went to the scorecards, and Dominick Reyes stopped him in the first round in 2018.
Keep exploring
Closest middleweight profiles to Jared Cannonier, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Paulo Costabest strength 93 · weakest bjj 78
- Darren Tillbest boxing 87 · weakest bjj 72
- Nassourdine Imavovbest boxing 89 · weakest bjj 78
- Kelvin Gastelumbest boxing 89 · weakest bjj 78
- Middleweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Jared Cannonier's strongest attribute, Strength.
Draft Jared Cannonier into your build
Jared Cannonier enters the pool on any spin landing on middleweight between 2018 and present. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Jared Cannonier is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Jared Cannonier's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.