Jared Cannonier is gearing up to defend his No. 4 spot in the middleweight rankings against Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of the UFC on ESPN 57 on June 8. ‘Tha Killa Gorilla’ is currently riding a 2-fight win streak with his victories over Marvin Vettori and former middleweight champion Sean Strickland. While he originally started his UFC journey as a heavyweight, Cannonier dropped down to light-heavyweight and then middleweight, where he has done some of the best work of his career.

He faced former 185-pound champion Israel Adesanya for the title at UFC 276 in 2022 but came up short despite a valiant effort over five rounds. A win over Imavov could propel him back into contention for the title, and with that comes more attention from the fans who want to learn more about his life outside the cage. As such, let’s take a look and learn all we know about his wife, kids, and personal life.

Who is Jared Cannonier’s wife, Catherine Cannonier?

Jared Cannonier is married to Catherine Cannonier, and the two met while ‘Tha Killa Gorrilla’ was serving in the US Army. According to information online, Catherine was also serving in the military at the same time when their relationship began. The couple are proud parents of three children, although Cannonier prefers to keep his personal life away from the spotlight.

Their relationship continued after Jared was released from the army due to testing positive for marijuana, and the couple then moved to Alaska, where ‘Tha Killa Gorilla’ worked as an air traffic controller for the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) before he signed with the UFC.

In an interview published by MMA News in 2021, Jared stated, “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.” He also revealed that his drive to be a martial artist stemmed from his love of “watching them on TV,” but it was in the Army that he “got my first real taste of martial arts.”

Catherine continued to support her husband through his martial arts journey, but in 2021, in an interview on the MMA Hour, Jared revealed, “My wife is getting ready to get up and go to work, which is against the structure that we have as a family. She has there’s so much here at the house, maintaining the home, taking care of the kids, making sure everything is where it needs to be so I can go and do my thing, not have to worry about everything else that’s going on.”

There is no information available currently on what Catherine does for a living, but it’s clear by Jared’s comments that the pair have been hard at work trying to build the life of their dreams together.

Cannonier was once ready to give up his family for his MMA dream 

Despite their strong bond, ‘Tha Killa Gorilla’ was once so focused on his dreams of MMA glory that he was willing to give up everything dear to him if the sport demanded it! In the interview shared by MMA News, he stated, “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.”

As Cannonier gets ready to step into the Octagon against Imavov, his journey and the strength of his personal life continue to inspire fans. A victory could bring him closer to another title shot, underscoring the importance of the solid foundation built with Catherine’s incredible support and dedication.