Khamzat Chimaev Sends a 4-Word Message to Jared Cannonier After UFC Middleweight Contender Places One Condition for a Fight Against Undefeated UFC Star

Jared Cannonier registered his second consecutive win at UFC Vegas 75. He defeated Marvin Vettori via a unanimous decision win. Following his victory, a journalist asked him if he was interested in being the first middleweight opponent for Khamzat Chimaev. ‘The Killa Gorilla’ laid down one condition if the UFC wanted him to fight the undefeated Swedish star.

Cannonier lost his first title fight at UFC 276 to Israel Adesanya. Since then, he has been on the hunt for another shot at the championship and racked up two consecutive wins in the process. However, the 17-6 fighter was pitched with the idea of fighting Khamzat Chimaev, who is likely to move into the middleweight division.

Jared Cannonier only wants to fight for the title

During the post-fight press conference, Jared Cannonier expressed his concern regarding the possibility of a title fight if he faces Khamzat Chimaev. He asked, “Does that fight give me a title shot? You think so?” He also mentioned how ‘Borz’ hasn’t yet been ranked in the middleweight division. However, Cannonier understands that the fight with the Swedish star can prove to be an exciting matchup because the fans want to see Chimaev fight.

Cannonier said, “I know he’s popular. Everybody wants to see him do his thing and stuff like that.” The former title challenger mentioned that he will only fight Chimaev if the UFC makes it a contender’s match. He added, “If they call me and say, ‘Hey, Khamzat for contender’s match?’ That’s a yes.”

Jared Cannonier further went on to reveal his intentions of fighting only for the championship. He is not focused on trying to entertain the fans. “I know you guys want to see it. It will be a good fight, you know what I mean? If that fight gets me a title shot, yes. I just beat number three. I am not looking back, I am looking forward,” said ‘The Killa Gorilla’.

Khamzat Chimaev responded to Cannonier’s statement

Jared Cannonier’s response to the question of fighting Khamzat Chimaev caught the attention of the Swedish fighter. Meanwhile, ‘Borz’ is yet to fight in the UFC in 2023. His last fight took place over ten months ago at UFC 279. Moreover, after missing weight in the fight against Nate Diaz, UFC president Dana White revealed that Chimaev will fight in the middleweight division going forward.

In a post shared by ‘MMA Junkie’ on Instagram, Chimaev shared a daring response to Jared Cannonier and commented, “I am the Champ.” He clearly isn’t afraid of a fight with the middleweight veteran and expressed his willingness to fight the former title challenger if the UFC intends to book a match between them.

READ MORE: Amid Uncertainty Over Next Fight, Khamzat Chimaev Sends Dana White a Reminder As UFC Star Puts Forth His Demands for Next Bout – “Let Me Smash Somebody”

Since Jared Cannonier is gunning to get back into championship contention, it is unlikely that he’ll get a contender’s fight against Khamzat Chimaev. Dana White may not want to give the Swedish fighter a chance to win the title shot in his very first middleweight fight. We will have to wait and see what follows in the days to come.

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