The UFC doesn't pick up big men that often. So, it's always something of a surprise to hear of a new heavyweigh coming to the Zuffa Ranks. That's what we've got with the announced signing of Jared Cannonier. As reported by MMAJunkie, he's set to face Shawn Jordan at UFC 182 on January 3rd. Joining Cannonier will be new middleweight Jake Collier. His signing was also reported by MMAJunkie, and has since been confirmed by outside sources. He'll face Vitor Miranda (a recent TUF Brazil HW who's dropping to 185) at the UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Dollaway event on December 20th in Barueri Brazil. So...

Who is Jared Cannonier?

Training out of Gracie Barra Alaska, Jared Cannonier comes to the UFC as something of an enigma. While he obviously has a grappling focused camp around him, he was one of the striking coaches for Lauren Murphy before she upped stakes and headed down to the MMA Lab in Arizona. He has a pro record of 7-0 complied over the last three and a half years and, all things considered, it's a pretty decent one. Wins over Tony Lopez, Stephen Waalkes nd Joshua Ofiu are all solid for the regional heavyweight level. So, while the bulk of his training and fighting has taken place way up in the frozen north, his record is none the worse because of it.

What you should expect:

Mostly, you can expect a big, fast, athletic fighter that swings hard. Standing 5'11" and weighing in somewhere around 240lbs, Cannonier may not quite have the frame to find success in the UFC at HW. But, his footwork is solid, and he's pretty fast, but his best asset is his combination boxing. He throws blitzing combinations to overwhelm his opposition and does so with decent technique and a reasonable mind for defense. His takedown game appears to be more strength than technique, but to that end he appears pretty strong, and having a real technical shot isn't really a big part of the heavyweight lexicon. His top game on the ground appears solid, but from what little tape there is on him, it's tough to feel overly confident in his grappling.

What this means for his debut:

It's a tough for Cannonier, but if tape is anything to go by, it's certainly one he's capable of winning. Jordan has yet to show mfightuch of the growth or consistency expected of an athlete of his caliber, when he came to MMA. He's still a great athlete, and he still hits hard, but when he's not facing the lowest end of competition, he often looks lost in his striking and doesn't have the consistently technical wrestling to bring the fight to the ground and keep it there. If Cannonier can manage to stay on his feet, or at least stay off his back, he has the tools to beat Shawn Jordan. But, given that it's the heavyweight division, I wouldn't heavily favor either man.

To get us better acquainted here's Cannonier's recent fight with Jermaine Haughton (who took the bout on one day's notice with zero MMA experience):

Who is Jake Collier?

It's a little easier to get a bead on Jake Collier, the 25-year old middleweight trains out of Pat Smith's Pit MMA in Cuba, Missouri. Collier, apparently was a self-trained amateur MMA fighter, before teaming up with the somewhat infamous UFC 1 entrant. Since then, however, it sounds like he's been spreading out his training a bit training off an on at other local gyms, while still making Pit MMA his home camp. He's amassed a 8-1 record on the regional scene, culminating with a headlining slot at RFA 19 against Gabriel Checco. His record has gotten a lot better lately, with wins over Cully Butterfield and the aforementioned Checco, but otherwise has very little depth. His only loss, however, comes to another highly touted prospect in Kelvin Tiller.

What you should expect:

Collier fights a bit like a self taught fighter, which is to say, functionally, but with odd technical gaps. At heart, he's a high output kickboxer, who throws nice straight punches and mixes in kicks well to all levels. But, his footwork isn't great, and his technique really starts to break down when he loads up on shots. His grappling game is more athletic and frenetic than technical, and often seems to rely on his ability to explode out of things. His takedowns are also a bit more trip and throw based rather than traditional wrestling, and he can end up in bad positions because of them. At the root, however, he's a surprisingly decent athlete with good balance and scrambling ability.

What this means for his debut:

It's hard to know just how Vitor Miranda will look at 185. He's a nicely technical kickboxer, but doesn't have the best hands or defensive movement in the world. Someone like Collier, who is going to come in throwing with consistency and aggression could very easily make Miranda's technical edge a bit unimportant. Neither fighter is terribly "well rounded" but Collier is definitely the more adept grappler. Eventually I'm likely to give him the edge, just because he pushes a better pace and is willing to be aggressive wherever the fight takes him, whereas Miranda generally seems to be at a loss when not on his feet working at range.

To get us better acquainted, here's Collier's recent bout against Gabriel Checco at RFA 19: