Born: March 16, 1984 (Age: 39) in Dallas
Division: Middleweight
Height: 5’11”
Reach: 77.5”
Record: 16-6 (9-6 UFC)
Association: MMA Lab
Stage of Career: Post-prime
Summary: Cannonier started mixed martial arts late and showed
significant improvement in his mid-30s, which makes one wonder how
amazing he could have been had he gotten into the sport sooner.
Thanks to his sturdy takedown defense and fantastic ability to get
back to his feet, he has managed to simplify an MMA contest into
one based around striking. While he does not have every strike in
the book, his right hand is a genuine weapon, regardless of what he
throws; the right cross, right hook, overhand right and right
uppercut are all powerful and sudden. He is especially lethal from
close range, an area at which no one wants to engage Cannonier. He
also features excellent leg kicks that are ridiculously powerful
and sudden. His defense is also sound. While his jab could be even
better and his left hook could be used more, only the best strikers
can hope to surpass him in the standup. Despite his age, Cannonier
is athletic and strong, with surprisingly stout cardio. Considering
he also fights smart—he uses the first round to gain an
understanding of his opponents before viciously attacking in
ensuing stanzas—he is a fearsome challenge for almost anyone at 185
pounds.
STRIKING
• Stance: Orthodox.
• Hand Speed: Average.
• Jab: Slightly telegraphed but technical and hard enough.
• Cross: Sudden and powerful—a terrifying combination.
• Right Hook: Tremendously powerful, with a short, tight arc.
• Overhand Right: Slightly hitched, with the elbow too high up.
Lacks a consistent arc but accurate and fairly hard.
• Uppercuts: Excellent from the right side. A powerful weapon at
close range.
• Solitary Striker or Volume Puncher: Throws punches in bunches
when he senses an opportunity, but not in general.
• Favorite Combination(s): The one-two, which is outstanding.
• Leg Kicks: Powerful, sudden and fairly fast.
• Body Kicks: Rarely throws them.
• Head Kicks: Rarely throws them.
• Chains Kicks to Punches: No.
Cannonier has devastating and outstanding striking skills, and
despite a fairly long reach, he is at his most dangerous from close
range, where it is difficult to think of a middleweight who is
superior to him. All of the power and peril comes from his right
hand but in a variety of forms, with a genuinely great right cross
and right hook, a technically flawed but solid overhand right and
an outstanding right uppercut at close range. However, he also
carries a bone-crushing and underrated leg kick, which ranks among
the best in the middleweight division. Cannonier is relatively
sound from a defensive standpoint, but he would be even better if
he improved his jab or used the left hook more.
CLINCH
• Physical Strength: Excellent.
• Technique: Serviceable.
• Knees: Decent, but he looks to defend against takedowns first and
foremost.
• Elbows: Does not throw them.
• Defense Against Knees/Elbows: Sound.
Cannonier loves to throw close-range punches, but in a full-on
clinch, he looks to defend against takedowns, gain separation and
little else.
GRAPPLING
• Wrestling from a Shot: Does not pursue it.
• Wrestling in the Clinch: Does not pursue it.
• Takedown Defense: An underrated part of his game. He can
successfully defend strong attempts from excellent grapplers,
although those with the best timing and technique get through.
• Ability to Return to Feet: Can do so through a multitude of ways,
whether wall walking or his beautiful, athletic hip escapes and
scrambles—the method he used to get up against
Jack
Hermansson, who has outstanding top control, submissions and
ground-and-pound.
• Submissions: Does not pursue them.
• Defense/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the Bottom: If he fails to
quickly get up, Cannonier has proven susceptible to
ground-and-pound. He absorbed many hard shots from
Ion
Cutelaba before pushing him away with his feet.
• Top Control: Limited. Opponents are often badly hurt already or
exhausted when Cannonier makes his way into top position.
• Ground-and-Pound: Average and basic. He can connect with punches
or elbows, especially when the opponent is exhausted, as was the
case with Cutelaba.
Cannonier’s grappling is purely defensive at his current level,
but in that capacity, it has been quite difficult to crack. His
takedown defense has improved throughout his mid-30s and can now be
cast as effective, even against top-notch grapplers. When he does
get taken down, Cannonier excels at getting up through scrambles,
wall walking and gorgeous, athletic hip escapes. Opponents who
manage to pin him down can batter him with ground-and-pound. He
rarely uses his own top game and generally does not give others
much to worry about in that arena.
INTANGIBLES
• Athleticism/General Physical Strength: Well above average in both
areas despite his age.
• Cardio: He normally throws powerful blows well into the third
round and paces himself well for five-round fights, but his
conditioning has shown signs of deteriorating lately.
• Chin: As a former heavyweight, he has managed to weather some
solid connections from
Robert
Whittaker and
Israel
Adesanya, among others, at 185 pounds.
• Recuperative Powers: Good enough to keep him in fights where he
runs into trouble.
• Intelligence: Often takes a smart, calm approach. He prefers to
use the first round to figure out opponents and their movements
before viciously attacking them and pursuing finishes in the second
and third periods. Occasionally makes tactical mistakes.