Jared Cannonier got back on track Saturday when he defeated Sean Strickland in the UFC Fight Night 216 headliner.
After falling short of the title earlier this year, Cannonier (16-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) rebounded with a split decision victory over Strickland (25-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) in their middleweight main event, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Cannonier’s win over Strickland at UFC Fight Night 216.
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MMA Junkie
It's time, folks! The 511th and final UFC fight of 2022: Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland are moments away from the #UFCVegas66 headliner.
Play-by-play: https://t.co/8RQ6CBAvO6 pic.twitter.com/fBAH66J2nf
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) December 18, 2022
Nick Kalikas
#UFCFightNight Main Event Closing Betting Odds via @CircaSports
Sean Strickland +100
Jared Cannonier -120@UFC | @ESPNPlus | #UFCVegas66 💰— Nick Kalikas (@FightOdds) December 18, 2022
UFC
Get set for battle! ⚔️
Sean Strickland now marches toward the Octagon! #UFCVegas66 pic.twitter.com/VindtCa8AB
— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) December 18, 2022
UFC
The last man to enter the Octagon: Jared Cannonier can't wait to return to the title picture! 🦍 #UFCVegas66 pic.twitter.com/yrQYd0BmuL
— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) December 18, 2022
UFC
The final fight action of 2022 starts NOW #UFCVegas66 pic.twitter.com/EMgPoWCNrX
— UFC (@ufc) December 18, 2022
Bloody Elbow
Jabs from both men open the fight. Cannonier a 1-2, just out of range, Strickland pawing his jab, but getting backed up early. Body kick from Cannonier and a hard low kick. #UFCVegas66
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) December 18, 2022
Cageside Press
Sean popping that jab out Sean style. Jared having some issues with it. 1-2 for Jared, Sean leans back and avoids the right hand. Jared is trying to put pressure on Sean to force him to the fence and land. #UFCVegas66
— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) December 18, 2022
Michael Roberts
20 seconds of legit dead air to open the final UFC fight of the year ain’t it.
Apex fights were fun at one point.
That has long past.
— Michael Roberts (@MikeLeoRoberts) December 18, 2022
Cageside Press
Sean jab answered by a leg kick, hooks for Jared.
Sean with another stiff jab. More leg kicks from Jared. Someone is screaming "Chop him down!"
1-2 for Sean! Jared jab to the body. Round ends. #UFCVegas66
— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) December 18, 2022
Nick Kalikas
#UFCFightNight LIVE In-Game Wagering Odds After RD-1 via @CircaSports
Sean Strickland +120
Jared Cannonier -150@UFC | @ESPNPlus | #UFCVegas66 💰— Nick Kalikas (@FightOdds) December 18, 2022
Sam Alvey
Close round, i edge round 1 to strickland #ufc
— Sam Alvey (@smilensam) December 18, 2022
Scott Fontana
R1 10-9 Cannonier. Close round. No huge shots. Could go the other way. #UFCVegas66
— Scott Fontana (@Scott_Fontana) December 18, 2022
Teddy Atlas
Strickland used jab and legs to control range and the round. 1-0. #UFCVegas66
— Teddy Atlas (@TeddyAtlasReal) December 18, 2022
Sean Sheehan
Yoel Romero vs. Sean Strickland would have been so amazing.
Strickland throwing his lil jabs for 4.5 rounds until Yoel Romero flying knees him into the 12th row.
— Seán Sheehan (@SeanSheehanBA) December 18, 2022
Charles Rosa
Wow POWER Vs PRECISION who will take it? @ufc #UFCVegas66
— Charles Rosa (@CharlesRosaMMA) December 18, 2022
Nick Baldwin
Strickland ties it up in R2. But it's close. I'll say 19-19 overall.
— Nick Baldwin (@NickBaldwinMMA) December 18, 2022
Sam Alvey
Jared with an edged round 2
— Sam Alvey (@smilensam) December 18, 2022
Teddy Atlas
Boxing 101 by Strickland, legs and jabs. Up 2-0. #UFCVegas66
— Teddy Atlas (@TeddyAtlasReal) December 18, 2022
Belal Muhammad
Jared needs to keep kicking the legs
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) December 18, 2022
Conor McGregor
I’m gonna give middleweight a go at some point 100%.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 18, 2022
Alexander Lee
Gimme 29-28 Cannonier, I guess? #UFCVegas66
— Alexander K Lee (@AlexanderKLee) December 18, 2022
Nick Kalikas
#UFCFightNight LIVE In-Game Wagering Odds After RD-3 via @CircaSports
Sean Strickland +160
Jared Cannonier -200@UFC | @ESPNPlus | #UFCVegas66 💰— Nick Kalikas (@FightOdds) December 18, 2022
Sam Alvey
It’s either 3-0 for either of them or 2-1 for either of them
— Sam Alvey (@smilensam) December 18, 2022
Belal Muhammad
Jared needs longer combos Seans dictating the distance
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) December 18, 2022
Teddy Atlas
Cannonier needs to step with Strickland and catch him going out. #UFCVegas66
— Teddy Atlas (@TeddyAtlasReal) December 18, 2022
Scott Fontana
R4 10-9 Cannonier, going up 39-37 on my card. Probably his best round. But these have been tight rounds. Feels like any man's fight. #UFCVegas66
— Scott Fontana (@Scott_Fontana) December 18, 2022
Alex Behunin
2-2?
— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) December 18, 2022
Nick Kalikas
#UFCFightNight LIVE In-Game Wagering Odds After RD-4 via @CircaSports
Sean Strickland +230
Jared Cannonier -300@UFC | @ESPNPlus | #UFCVegas66 💰— Nick Kalikas (@FightOdds) December 18, 2022
Caposa
Some solid punches for Cannonier in the final minute of R4, but overall I still think it was a Strickland did the better work. Could be 2-2 or 3-1 Cannonier
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) December 18, 2022
Teddy Atlas
Cannonier started to land a little at end there as Strickland stepped out. #UFCVegas66
— Teddy Atlas (@TeddyAtlasReal) December 18, 2022
Conor McGregor
I’d be a big fridge at middleweight. But hot like oven same time, ye know yourself , catch it on ppv. Don’t know tho. It be hard work. Those rounds against those middle/lhw, they were alternating fresh each round. I’ve put in psycho work doing this job over the years.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 18, 2022
Sodiq Yusuff
Who the hell is winning?
— Sodiq Yusuff (@Super_Sodiq) December 18, 2022
Aaron Bronsteter
Cannonier seems to be beating Strickland at his own game here.
Impressive stuff from him tonight.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) December 18, 2022
Yves Edwards
It’d be wild if the final ufc fight of the year ended in a draw.
— The Thugjitsu Master (@thugjitsumaster) December 18, 2022
Daniel Rubenstein
No idea how to score this main event. I guess I’ll leave 3-2 Cannonier #UFCVegas66
— Daniel Rubenstein (@dannyrube) December 18, 2022
Ben Askren
Good fight by both I got Cannonier but I could see judges going either way.
— Funky (@Benaskren) December 18, 2022
UFC
Our final fight of 2022 goes the distance! Decision up next #UFCVegas66 pic.twitter.com/cwgwkneFlT
— UFC (@ufc) December 18, 2022
Erik Koch
That’s a hard one to judge 🤷🏻♂️
— Erik Jon Koch (@NEWBREED04) December 18, 2022
MMA Junkie
#UFCVegas66 results: Jared Cannonier (@KillaGorillaMMA) def. Sean Strickland via split decision (49-46, 46-49, 49-46)
Full results: https://t.co/8RQ6CBSF2e pic.twitter.com/aszmloOXux
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) December 18, 2022
Derek Brunson
Solid fight . Crazy score cards ! #UFCVegas66
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) December 18, 2022
Ben Askren
Strickland is pissed, but he should’ve showed more urgency. 49-46 going opposite ways, weird cards again. @VerdictMMA what you got?
— Funky (@Benaskren) December 18, 2022
Mike Jackson
Wild scoring, but makes sense. Nice fight. #UFCVegas66
— Mike Jackson, Esq. (@TheTruthJackson) December 18, 2022
UFC
A split decision to close the year!
Jared Cannonier ending 2022 with a big win on his resume #UFCVegas66 pic.twitter.com/W4vk6oZS3v
— UFC (@ufc) December 18, 2022
Belal Muhammad
Sean should’ve listened to his coaches that middle kick was there a lot
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) December 18, 2022
Derek Brunson
Comedy in judging . 49-46 one person , 49-46 other person . Too subjective and opinionated. Can we get a real scoring system … #UFCVegas66
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) December 18, 2022
Dustin Jacoby
How is it possible to have two separate 49-46 scorecards?! 5 judges. Isolated rooms with no volume. Give it a shot #UFCFightnight
— Dustin Jacoby (@thehanyakdj) December 18, 2022
Caposa
Not a single round scored unanimously by the judges https://t.co/cPWEDAMdU4
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) December 18, 2022
