Jared Cannonier Lives In The Matrix

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight contender Jared Cannonier is currently ranked No. 3 in the 185-pound division and could be in line for the winner of Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa, assuming the promotion can book their grudge match later this year.

But if and when “Killa Gorilla” can finally secure his crack at the middleweight crown, don’t expect him to follow in the footsteps of “The Last Stylebender” or “The Eraser,” because the mild-mannered Cannonier doesn’t talk trash to hype his UFC fights.

He talks joy.

“Ain’t no point in having that animosity,” Cannonier told MMA Fighting. “I don’t need that sort of energy to fuel my fight. I use joy to fuel my fight. I love this. I don’t need to be mad at you to get in there and fight you. I need this to be honest. I quit a career with the federal government so I could focus purely on this, because this is The Matrix I want to live in. Not their Matrix, not your Matrix, not his or her Matrix, my Matrix. And if you can’t get on the same wave, then like Nino Brown said, ‘You either roll with me or get rolled over.’”

Nino Brown was played by Wesley Snipes in New Jack City.

Cannonier (13-4), like the rest of the division, is currently sidelined as the world battles the coronavirus pandemic. Not that it matters, as “Killa Gorilla” was going to be out of action anyway after undergoing surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle back in February.

If the middleweight title picture has not cleared up by the time Cannonier returns to action, the promotion could opt to rebook him against sidelined former champion Robert Whittaker to see which 185-pound slugger is next in line for the winner of Adesanya-Costa.