Jared Cannonier clears stance on potential rematch with Sean Strickland or Israel Adesanya as he's forced to face bitter truth of his 185-pound status

Jared Cannonier got back in the win column with his UFC Vegas 102 triumph. [Image courtesy: @ufc on Instagram] — Jared Cannonier got back into the win column with his UFC Vegas 102 triumph. [Image courtesy: @ufc on Instagram]

Jared Cannonier assessed his position in the middleweight title picture realistically after his win over Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Vegas 102 on Feb. 15. Cannonier, ranked No. 7 in the division, secured this victory following two consecutive losses to Caio Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov in his previous fights.

During the post-fight press conference, the 40-year-old spoke openly about his plans for the future, stating:

"I didn't say anybody specifically, but if you were to look at the rankings, I would like a ranked opponent, for sure. I think I'm definitely going to get a ranked opponent after that victory. I would like somebody higher than me. Unfortunately, all the people ranked higher than me are either in line to get the title shot, or going to wait for the title shot, or just beat me. But, I'm not going to rule anything out. If they say, 'Hey, Jared, we need you to fight Dricus next for the belt.' Hell, yes! I'm ready."

Among Cannonier's past opponents who are ranked above him, Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland are both coming off losses in their recent fights. When asked about his interest in rematches against them, Cannonier responded:

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"Four people in the rankings ahead of me have beaten me. And I'm ranked seventh. That means three people I haven't fought or beaten... That being said, as long as I keep winning, Yeah!"

Check out Jared Cannonier's comments below:

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Jared Cannonier challenged Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 276 in July 2022. Unfortunately for the 40-year-old, he lost the fight by unanimous decision. Following this, Cannonier secured a victory over Sean Strickland by a split decision in a closely contested match in Dec. 2022.

Both Adesanya and Strickland have lost to the current champion, Dricus du Plessis, in the not-so-distant past. Meanwhile, other top contenders like Khamzat Chimaev, Caio Borralho, and Nassourdine Imavov are in the conversation for a title shot.

Robert Whittaker, who previously defeated Cannonier in Oct. 2020, is also coming off a first-round submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev.