Former UFC title Challenger Jared Cannonier and Conor McGregor are part of an exclusive group in modern times.
Jared Cannonier will try to make a strong case for another no. 1 candidate fight when he is confronted this Saturday for fan favorite Michael 'Venom' on UFC 319. Despite the hesitation of Cannonier to fight Page, he gets the chance to stay in the middleweight title mix with a victory.
Cannonier is one of the experienced presence on the UFC schedule, which participated in various weight classes during his promotional term of office. Before Cannonier finally found a house in the middleweight, Cannonier participated in slightly heavyweight and heavyweight, and earned impressive victories in both weight classes.
The success of Cannonier in three different divisions brings him in the same conversation as Conor McGregor for one remarkable achievement.
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Jared Cannonier and Conor McGregor Share UFC Modern ERA Record
Just like Cannonier, McGregor fought in several divisions during his promotional term of office. After he started his UFC career in featherweight, he has fought against goodweight and lightweight in recent years and has achieved characteristic victories in both weight classes.
McGregor and Cannonier are both considered as 'knockout artists' because of their elite striking and cruelty at various points in their career. Their performance in three different weights etching their names in the UFC history books.
Cannonier and McGregor are the only UFC hunters of the modern times that TKO/Ko wins earn in three different weight classes, so that they are brought into exclusive company. McGregor floated the performance when he eliminated Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 at 170 pounds.
Cannonier started his UFC career as a heavyweight and spent Cyril Asker in April 2016 before he made the full-time switch to the light heavyweight division. After having gone 2-3 on light heavyweight, including a knockout victory over Nick Roehrick in July 2017, Cannonier changed weight classes again and moved to 185 pounds.
Since he moved to the middleweight, Cannonier has the will of Jack Hermansson, Anderson Silva and most recently Gregory Rodrigues in the Octagon. The 41-year-old challenged the UFC Middleweight title against Israel Adesanya on UFC 276 and lost a unanimous decision.
McGregor wrote UFC history when he was the first two-division champion of the promotion to be eliminated by Eddie Alvarez on UFC 205. He has not fought Dustin Poirier in 2021 since back-to-back.
Despite his five-year interruption of the competition, McGregor is still planning a UFC Comback in 2026, but his newest training images have not encouraged his fans.
The latest training images from Conor McGregor have not collected rave reviews
McGregor focuses on a return to the Octagon for the planned UFC event in the White House in July. McGregor has reintroduced the UFC drug test pool for the first time since he withdrew from UFC 303 due to injury.
McGregor and Michael Chandler could possibly follow the White House event of the UFC next summer, if Jon Jones does not get his way. UFC CEO Dana White repeatedly advertised McGregor as a potential headliner and Jones because of concerns outside the Octagon.
McGregor's last victory came against Cerrone, and he has lost three of his last four fights in general, including a defeat against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229.