UFC initially supplied Costa, Imavov not what I needed

Jared Cannonier would have beloved to combat Paulo Costa, however the combat supply got here too quickly.

Cannonier (17-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) tore his MCL which compelled him to withdraw from his scheduled bout in opposition to Roman Dolidze this previous December at UFC on ESPN 52.

His subsequent combat supply got here in opposition to Costa (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) on this previous Saturday’s UFC 301 occasion in Rio, however that might have been too fast of a turnaround for Cannonier.

“Initially, they supplied me a combat with Paulo Costa at UFC 301,” Cannonier instructed Center Simple. “I wasn’t going to be cleared till like the tip of March. That will have simply been like a one-month camp to get able to get again to competitors.

“I didn’t need to leap proper again into competitors with out having been coaching the whole lot I have to be coaching main as much as getting a combat scheduled. I wasn’t actually grappling as a lot. After all, I wasn’t cleared to compete, so I didn’t have full utilization of my recovered knee.”

Cannonier then acquired the decision to face rising contender Nassourdine Imavov (13-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) within the UFC Battle Evening on June 8 headliner on the KFC Yum! Heart in Louisville. “The Killa Gorilla” accepted, however admits he hoped for a higher-ranked opponent.

“They known as me three or 4 weeks later with the Imavov combat, and it wasn’t what I needed,” Cannonier mentioned. “Naturally, I need the contenders combat. I need the best rating, the perfect matchup. I hoped to get Costa later, perhaps in June, however they gave that combat to (Strickland).

“That ship sailed. All that they had left was Imavov. I wanted to get my toes moist once more, and he’s a superb dust-up to knock the mud off, if you’ll. … I needed the highest, anyone forward of me: Strickland, (Israel) Adesanya, (Robert) Whittaker.”