Caio Borralho vs. Jared Cannonier squared off in a Middleweight contest earlier tonight (Sat. Aug. 24, 2024) at UFC Vegas 96 from UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. In a great performance, Borralho picked up a clear-cut decision win on the strength of his kickboxing.
Both men opened the bout by digging at each other’s calves. Both men feinted at distance until an early eye poke from Borralho stalled the action. Upon the restart, Cannonier slammed home a big right hand over the top. Borralho’s low calf kicks were heating up, however, and they sat Cannonier down momentarily. Cannonier switched his stance up and walked into a stiff jab. In general, Borralho did really well to control the distance with his kicks and jabbed, which stymied a lot of Cannonier’s offense and rendered him defensive for a fair portion of the round.
Cannonier began the second with a sense of urgency, landing a good combo after backing Borralho into the fence. Borralho was still landing heavy kicks, but Cannonier seemed to have gained a better understanding of the type of combinations he needed to land on the rangy Brazilian. As a result, his power punches were connecting more often, and Borralho looked a little wobbly. Nevertheless, he kept firing the jab. Borralho recovered his footing and continued to chip away at the legs, but all told, it was a much better round from the veteran.
The pace really heated up early in the third. Both landed clubbing shots, but Cannonier’s overhand right was the best weapon between them. Borralho’s kicks continued to land with an audible thud, however, as he attacked the calf of both legs and also stuck some punishing front kicks into the belly. Surprisingly, Borralho shifted his approach by upping the pressure without wrestling. It worked! He started throwing in combination while continuing to mix up his targets, resulting in a huge sequence in the final minute of the third. Cannonier was really wobbly and at one point briefly hit the canvas, taking some big shots but ultimately surviving into the championship rounds.
Borralho’s jab snapped Cannonier’s head back to start the fourth. The jab and low kick were really working wonders in keeping Cannonier’s combinations away. For a couple minutes, Borralho really controlled the range and flow of the exchanges, but Cannonier surged back with a few big lands midway through the round to bust up the Brazilian. Borralho’s eye quickly began to swell shut, which added an interesting wrinkle to the most competitive round yet.
It was all up for grabs with five minutes remaining, and Borralho fought spectacularly. He took the center with his excellent jab then started picking apart his opponent with counters, timing the power puncher as he tried to close distance. Borralho worked his foe towards the fence and then stuck with him a powerful straight punch that completely took away Cannonier’s knees. It’s a miracle that Cannonier survived the onslaught given how badly he hit the floor, but he managed to cling onto the Brazilian and then resist his Von Flue choke attempt.
It was a great display of heart, but it wasn’t going to win him the decision.
This was far and away the best performance of Caio Borralho’s career despite failing to land a single takedown. The Brazilian has always been a tricky counter striker with powerful kicks, but his comfort in the pocket and boxing aptitude looked far improved compared to previous performances. He stood toe-to-toe with a fearsome and proven knockout artist, and he won!
Skilled, big for the division, and well-conditioned, Borralho just announced himself as a serious threat to Dricus Du Plessis’ Middleweight reign. The Fighting Nerds really are on the rise!
Result: Borralho defeats Cannonier via unanimous decision
For complete UFC Vegas 96: “Cannonier vs. Borralho” results and play-by-play, click HERE!