UFC Vegas 96 went down last night (Sat., Aug. 24, 2024) inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, which saw Caio Borralho defeat Jared Cannonier via unanimous decision (recap here). In the co-main event, Tabatha Ricci secured a huge win over Angela Hill, also via unanimous decision.
Biggest Winner: Caio Borralho
The Top 10 will have a new member come next week, because Borralho locked down one of the biggest wins of his career after defeating Cannonier after five rounds of action. In doing so, he improved his win streak to 14 straight, upping his record to 17-1-1. Since he is currently ranked No. 12 and Cannonier No. 5, “The Natural” could very well take “Killa Gorilla’s” spot. He’s a legit threat and rising contender who could be fighting for the title sooner, rather than later.
Runner Up: Michael Morales
Like Borralho after him, Morales also secured one of the biggest wins of his careers by taking out longtime veteran, Neil Magny, via first-round technical knockout (TKO) with only 25 seconds remaining in the round. Morales moves his immaculate record to 17-0, 5-0 UFC and could find himself in the Top 15. After all, he just made minced meat out of the No. 12 ranked fighter in the division. For his efforts, he also was a recipient of a $50,000 post-fight bonus award.
Honorable Mentions: Ryand Loder & Mairon Santos
We have to give love to the new Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winners, as Ryan Loder and Mairon Santos became the TUF 32 winners after scoring back-to-back TKO wins over Robert Valentin and Kaan Ofli, respectively, both in the second round. Now, the two men will get to fulfill their lifelong journey of someday being able to fight for the title after locking down “six-figure contracts.”
Biggest Loser: Victoria Leonardo
Leonardo just can’t seem to catch any momentum inside the Octagon. She started off her UFC career with two straight technical knockout losses, a win over Mandy Bohm, which was then followed by back-to-back TKO losses including her most recent beatdown last night in “Sin City.” With a record of 1-4 in her first five UFC fights — all have come via TKO — she has set herself up to be a prime candidate to receive her walking papers in the next round of cuts, especially since her latest setback took only 62 seconds.
For complete UFC Vegas 96 results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.