Jared Cannonier heads into the UFC 254 co-main event as the man targeted by reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya as the No. 1 contender-in-waiting.
However, before “The Killa Gorilla” can get his title shot, he must first vanquish former title holder Robert Whittaker on Saturday at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi.
“I have all the respect for anybody who’s competing in this sport. If they respect, me I’m going to definitely reciprocate it,” Cannonier said at a virtual media event on Tuesday. “I’ve said it before, I’ve been a fan of Izzy before he was in the UFC.