Jared Cannonier names four potential opponents for his UFC return following arm surgery

UFC middleweight Jared Cannonier named four potential opponents for his return to the Octagon in 2021 following his recent arm surgery.

Cannonier lost a unanimous decision to Robert Whittaker in the co-main event of UFC 254 and during the fight, he suffered a broken arm that will see him on the sidelines for the foreseeable future. After returning to the United States from Abu Dhabi, Cannonier had successful surgery on his left arm to fix a fractured ulna. According to “The Killa Gorilla,” surgery went well and he could return in March.

Speaking to MMAjunkie.com, Cannonier said that he won’t rush his return to the Octagon, but when he does fight again, he named four opponents who he would be interested in fighting. They are Paulo Costa, Darren Till, Derek Brunson, and Uriah Hall. For Cannonier, he is the No. 3 ranked middleweight despite the loss to Whittaker, and he’s only interested in fighting the opponents he named.

“Of course (Paulo) Costa, Darren Till, all those guys. All those top 10 guys who are making moves to get into the position to get a shot at the title,” Cannonier said.

“Darren Till (or) (Derek) Brunson. Uriah Hall is in there. He just had a pretty good win. I just saw he’s been scheduled to fight Chris Weidman. That’s definitely a fight that will get him there. It will definitely get Weidman back in the direction of the title, as well. So, there are a lot of things happening. It’s unfortunate that I’m in the position I am where I have to take a step back yet again. Luckily, this isn’t going to be as long of a recovery.”

While the broken arm and the loss to Whittaker are unfortunate setbacks, it seems like Cannonier is confident that he can make a run for the belt once again in 2021. With a top-five ranking in the UFC middleweight division, look for the promotion’s matchmakers to match up Cannonier with another elite opponent in his comeback.

Who do you want to see Jared Cannonier when he returns to the Octagon?