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Tag: Caio Borralho

  • Caio Borralho Makes Convincing Argument To Fight Israel Adesanya Next: ‘So Dominant In His Prime
’

    Caio Borralho Makes Convincing Argument To Fight Israel Adesanya Next: ‘So Dominant In His Prime
’

    Following his biggest win to date this past weekend, Caio Borralho finds himself in the top five of the UFC’s middleweight division.

    The Contender Series alum capitalized on his first main event opportunity by beating Jared Cannonier to inject some new blood into the mix at 185-pounds.

    Though he would like to be in the title picture already, it appears likely that Borralho will need one more big win in order to really solidify his case, due to Sean Strickland being in line to challenge Dricus Du Plessis next.

    The Brazilian has now targeted the next best thing to fighting for the belt and that means facing off with the division’s biggest name.

    Caio Borralho Says Fighting Israel Adesanya Means He Gets To Face A Legend

    For the first time in a long time, Israel Adesanya’s next outing inside the Octagon will not be in a UFC title fight.

    “The Last Stylebender” said after his defeat at UFC 305 that he isn’t going anywhere just yet, meaning that he will go back to joining the list of contenders.

    In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Borralho made a strong case for why he should be next for the former champion.

    When you look at the other top fights in the rankings right now, Adesanya has already faced many of them aside from Brendan Allen and Nassourdine Imavov, who are already matched up with one another as the #5 contender pointed out.

    Borralho said that he wants this fight next because it would be a big moment for his own legacy to face someone that has represented the very best of the weight class for such a long time.

    “Let’s see, I want to fight him [Adesanya]. I think it will be a good fight on my resume and if the UFC wants me to do one more fight before I go to the belt, I think this is the fight to make. Why not fight a guy that is a legend of this sport and that was so dominant in his prime, so definitely a guy that I want to face just because nothing personal but just because it makes sense right now for him and it makes sense for me too.”

    Borralho then went on to explain how Adesanya has fought all the other names in the top 8 of the division, except Imavov and Allen – who are going to fight one another.

    Hence, the only realistic fight for Adesanya is the Brazilian, and Borralho is only too happy to oblige.

    Read also: MMA Analyst Believes Israel Adesanya Following ‘The Khabib Model’ Might Have Led To Dricus Du Plessis Loss

  • Khamzat Chimaev’s Former ‘Main Sparring Partner’ Caio Borralho Warns Robert Whittaker: ‘I Didn’t See Any Other Guy In My Life
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    Khamzat Chimaev’s Former ‘Main Sparring Partner’ Caio Borralho Warns Robert Whittaker: ‘I Didn’t See Any Other Guy In My Life
’

    Khamzat Chimaev is set to return to action at UFC 308 where his fight with former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has been rescheduled for the co-main event.

    Despite the fact that he debuted in the UFC four years ago, it still feels like there are so many unanswered questions surrounding the undefeated contender.

    Chimaev has an element of mystery and myth that still surrounds him, largely thanks to the stories you will hear from the fighters that have trained alongside him.

    One of those athletes is the #5-ranked middleweight Caio Borralho who got some work in with Chimaev two years ago.

    Caio Borralho Reflects On Experience Training With Khamzat Chimaev In Sweden

    Borralho had two main takeaways from the time that he spent training with Chimaev in the past, as he detailed in a recent interview with Submission Radio.

    His first major talking point was about the level of wrestling that his fellow middleweight contender brings to the table and how Whittaker will need to be working with the right training partners in order to prepare himself for this.

    “I already training with him, spent some time in Sweden with him for his training camp against Nate Diaz, the fight that never happened. I was there training with him every day, was my main sparring partner for this camp and I think it’s a very tough fight for Whittaker ‘cuz Khamzat has very great wrestling and there’s one thing about Khamzat that people don’t realize too much. They don’t know what kind of level to expect from him. Like they know by seeing but when feel it, think it’s a little bit different. This kind of level of wrestling, of grappling, I think the best wrestler in the division is Khamzat and we saw how he dominated Kamaru Usman, that’s a great, great wrestler.”

    Along with his wrestling pedigree, the other major characteristic of Chimaev’s approach to MMA has been his intense work ethic.

    Borralho gave some insight into this by detailing one particular session where “Borz” continued to work after completing the sparring session for the day.

    “He trains a lot, like I didn’t see any other guy in my life that trains as much as he trains. Maybe that’s why sometimes he like kills his body and doesn’t make it to the fight but definitely a guy that over train everyone in the room. There was a time that we did like five rounds sparring and after sparring, he did like three or four rounds of pads and then after that, he did like a 30-minute run and I was like, ‘What the f*** is this guy doing?’”

    Read also: MMA Analyst Believes Israel Adesanya Following ‘The Khabib Model’ Might Have Led To Dricus Du Plessis Loss

  • Caio Borralho Reveals ‘Mantra’ Of Training Camp For Jared Cannonier Win: ‘The New Champ Has Arrived’

    Caio Borralho Reveals ‘Mantra’ Of Training Camp For Jared Cannonier Win: ‘The New Champ Has Arrived’

    The future appears to be bright for Caio Borralho after pulling off a decision win over Jared Cannonier in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card at the Apex.

    The two had a hard-fought battle filled with plenty of strikes. Borralho’s kicks seemed to get the better of Cannonier in the first round before the former title challenger found a groove with his punches in the second.

    They were even in terms of striking numbers in the third, but “The Natural” managed to get “The Killa Gorilla” wobbly late in the frame. Cannonier battled back in the fourth round by delivering with his power, forming heavy damage around one of Borralho’s eyes.

    The Brazilian managed to gain the fifth round, however, by dropping Cannonier with a one-two in the closing minutes and nearly scoring the finish.

    “I caught him with some good jabs, and I think all these jabs hide my left hand, and when I (was) touching with my left hand, he felt (it) all the times,” Borralho told Megan Olivi for ESPN. “But he’s so durable, you know? He’s so tough. He’s been with the best in the world so many years. Crazy. He was in the UFC in 2015. That was the year of my last defeat, my second MMA fight.”

    Caio Borralho Claims He Is A New Champ On The Rise

    Borralho ventured his way into the UFC after a pair of wins over Aaron Jeffrey and Jesse Murray on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021. Since then, “The Natural,” representing the Fighting Nerds team, has surged upward in momentum by defeating the likes of Paul Craig, MichaƂ Oleksiejczuk, and Makhmud Muradov prior to Cannonier.

    Now with bigger opportunities in his future, in addition to his callout of champion Dricus Du Plessis in the Octagon, Borralho is expecting to be placed in the top five of the middleweight ranking when they’re updated next week.

    “I hope to see my name on Tuesday in the top five of this division,” Borralho said. “You know I’m coming for my belt. The mantra of this training camp was to show the new champ arrived. And I think everybody saw that (there is) a new champ on the rising [sic] – a guy that never gives up and (has) all skills.”

  • ‘Give Him Adesanya’ – MMA Fans React As Caio Borralho Outlasts Jared Cannonier In UFC Fight Night Main Event War

    ‘Give Him Adesanya’ – MMA Fans React As Caio Borralho Outlasts Jared Cannonier In UFC Fight Night Main Event War

    Caio Borralho represents the Fighting Nerds with pride and continued to do so with the biggest win of his career in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night main event, scoring a decision over Jared Cannonier.

    Borralho got Cannonier in trouble during the opening round, picking him apart with his kicks. The veteran contender and former title challenger, however, got himself on the board in the second rframe when he started to find his groove in his punching, which included a brief wobble of “The Natural” late in the round.

    The two had an action packed third stanza and were just about even in terms of significant strikes landed, especially to the head. Borralho, however, ended up getting Cannonier wobbly. And even when “The Killa Gorilla” tried to fight back with his power, he stumbled, showing he was still rocked. Cannonier, however, was able to survive the round.

    Borralho continued to bring heavy pressure in the fourth round, but the 40-year-old brought his power, landing damaging shots. By the end of the frame, notable swelling could be seen around one of Borralho’s eyes.

    But late in the fifth round, Borralho delivered again, landing a one-two that dropped Cannonier. The Brazilian scrambled and got to work with strong ground-and-pound. The American, however, managed to survive the attack and a subsequent choke attempt.

    That was enough for the judges, as two scored the fight 49-45 and one 48-46, all for Borralho.

    Caio Borralho Rocks Jared Cannonier Twice, Solidifies Himself As Middleweight Contender At UFC Fight Night

    https://twitter.com/Full_Violence/status/1827576506367021335
    https://twitter.com/SpxrtsMxster/status/1827577433865765054

    Borralho has won all but two of the fights in his professional career thus far. He’s 6-0 in the Octagon after winning a contract through a victory over current Bellator fighter Aaron Jeffrey on Dana White’s Contender Series. He entered this fight coming off a knockout of Paul Craig at UFC 301, and Borralho will now find himself in the mix of top middleweight contenders.

    Borralho used his post-fight interview to call out Dricus Du Plessis, who retained his UFC middleweight title against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, last weekend.

    Cannonier, meanwhile, has now lost two straight and three of his last five, stretching back to his unsuccessful challenge of then-champion Adesanya at UFC 276 in the summer of 2022.

  • UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Caio Borralho Decisions Jared Cannonier

    UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Caio Borralho Decisions Jared Cannonier

    UFC Fight Night took place tonight from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights! 

    In the main event, ranked middleweights Jared Cannonier (#5) and Caio Borralho (#12) clashed. While in the co-main event, Angela Hill faced Tabatha Ricci in a strawweight matchup. The event also featured this year’s TUF finales.

    UFC Fight Night Results: Main Card

    • Middleweight Main Event: Caio Borralho def. Jared Cannonier via unanimous decision (49- 45×2, 48-46)
    • Women’s Strawweight Co-Main Event: Tabatha Ricci def. Angela Hill via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
    • Middleweight (TUF 32 Finale): Robert Valentin def. Ryan Loder via TKO: R2, 1.49
    • Featherweight (TUF 32 Finale): Mairon Santos def. Kaan Ofli via KO: R2, 1.30
    • Welterweight: Michael Morales def. Neil Magny via TKO: R1, 4.39 
    • Middleweight: Gerald Meerschaert def. Edmen Shahbazyan via submission: R2, 4.12

    Preliminary Card

    • Lightweight: Francis Marshall def. Dennis Buzukja via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) 
    • Middleweight: Zachary Reese def. Jose Medina via split decision via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
    • Lightweight: Viacheslav Borshchev def. James Llontop via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
    • Women’s Bantamweight: Jacqueline Cavalcanti def. Josiane Nunes via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 27-30)

    Women’s Flyweight: Wang Cong def. Victoria Leonardo via KO: R1, 1.02 

    Preliminary Card Highlights

    Wang Cong def. Victoria Leonardo

    Making her UFC debut, Wang Cong took just over a minute to KO Victoria Leonardo in their flyweight bout.

    Main Card Highlights

    Gerald Meerschaert def. Edmen Shahbazyan

    Gerald Meerschaert came from behind to submit Edmen Shahbazyan with an arm triangle in the second round.

    Michael Morales def. Neil Magny 

    In this welterweight bout, Michael Morales got it done with a TKO of Neil Magny in the first round.

    Mairon Santos def. Kaan Ofli

    Mairon Santos earned a UFC contract after finishing Kaan Ofli in the TUF 32 featherweight finale.

    Robert Valentin def. Ryan Loder

    Robert Valentin earned a spot in the UFC after stopping Ryan Loder in the TUF 32 middleweight finale.

    Tabatha Ricci def. Angela Hill

    In the co-main event, Tabatha Ricci earned a unanimous decision win against Angela Hill.

    Caio Borralho def. Jared Cannonier

    In the main event, Caio Borralho earned a unanimous decision against Jared Cannonier.

  • UFC Fight Night: Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results!

    After staging its latest pay-per-view Down Under at the RAC Arena in Perth this past weekend, mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is back on home soil to put on another card at the Apex facility in Las Vegas.

    Topping the lineup will be a crucial clash of top contenders in the middleweight division, with former title challenger Jared Cannonier and the fast-rising Caio Borralho both looking to put themselves in a strong position within the title picture.

    Elsewhere, the likes of Angela Hill, Neil Magny, and Edmen Shahbazyan will all have their next assignments inside the Octagon, while this year’s TUF finales also go down inside the Apex.

    UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Borralho Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Borralho takes place on Saturday, August 24, at the Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, with the preliminary card starting at 7 p.m. ET/4p.m. PT.

    See above for a live stream of the weigh-ins via MMA Junkie, and check out the full results below!

    Main Card:

    • Middleweight Main Event: Jared Cannonier (184lbs) vs. Caio Borralho (186lbs)
    • Women’s Strawweight Co-Main Event: Angela Hill (115.5lbs) vs. Tabatha Ricci (115lbs)
    • Middleweight (TUF 32 Finale): Robert Valentin (185lbs) vs. Ryan Loder (186lbs)
    • Featherweight (TUF 32 Finale): Kaan Ofli (145lbs) vs. Mairon Santos (146lbs)
    • Welterweight: Neil Magny (170lbs) vs. Michael Morales (171lbs)
    • Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan (184.5lbs) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (185lbs)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Lightweight: Dennis Buzukja (155.5lbs) vs. Francis Marshall (156lbs)
    • Middleweight: Zachary Reese (184.5lbs) vs. Jose Medina (186lbs)
    • Lightweight: Viacheslav Borshchev (155.5lbs) vs. James Llontop (154.5lbs)
    • Women’s Bantamweight: Jacqueline Cavalcanti (135lbs) vs. Josiane Nunes (136lbs)
    • Featherweight: Zygimantas Ramaska (146lbs) vs. Nathan Fletcher (145.5lbs)
    • Women’s Flyweight: Wang Cong (125lbs) vs. Victoria Leonardo (125lbs)
  • Jared Cannonier Dismisses Caio Borralho’s Grappling Superiority Ahead Of UFC Fight Night Main Event: ‘I Fought Glover Teixeira!’

    Jared Cannonier Dismisses Caio Borralho’s Grappling Superiority Ahead Of UFC Fight Night Main Event: ‘I Fought Glover Teixeira!’

    Jared Cannonier looks to return to the win column this weekend by turning back a UFC middleweight contender on the rise.

    Caio Borralho has won six in a row to find himself in this position, but in Cannonier, he faces by far his toughest test to date.

    Despite what fans saw from him last time out at UFC 301, where he stopped Paul Craig in devastating fashion, the Brazilian is better known for his grappling skills.

    Given the high-level opposition that he has faced during his time competing at both middleweight and several other weight classes in the UFC, this isn’t something that is going to faze “The Killa Gorilla.”

    Jared Cannonier Doesn’t Understand Why People Underestimate His Grappling

    In a recent interview with MMA Junkie ahead of this weekend’s middleweight main event, Cannonier was asked whether, in his mind, this fight boils down to if he can stop Borralho from having success with his takedowns.

    The 185-pound stalwart doesn’t have this point of view and isn’t afraid to let his opponent test his grappling if that’s the way things end up going. He believes that his ground game is slept on by the rest of the division, potentially because you very rarely see opponents try to take him down.

    “If he ends up on the bottom, it’s not going to be too good for him down there either, so I got all the confidence in my ground game,” Cannonier said. “I don’t know why people think my ground game isn’t good. I haven’t been submitted in the UFC, I haven’t been submitted in my career.

    “When I was green, I fought Glover Teixeira. I spent a lot of time underneath him and didn’t get tapped, and I was green as far as my grappling goes back then,” Cannonier continued. “I’m much better now. I’m attacking you guys. If you guys think you want to take me down, you’re more than welcome to try.”

    Cannonier believes Borralho and the rest of the middleweight division could be in for a shock if the ground is where they think his weakness is.

  • Caio Borralho Reveals Best Way To Beat Jared Cannonier & Fight ‘Strangest Guy In the Division’ Dricus Du Plessis

    Caio Borralho Reveals Best Way To Beat Jared Cannonier & Fight ‘Strangest Guy In the Division’ Dricus Du Plessis

    Caio Borralho, who fights Jared Cannonier this weekend, has been undefeated in professional MMA since 2015. The former Future FC middleweight champ entered the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series and has racked up six wins in the promotion.

    After defeating the likes of Abus Magomedov and Paul Craig, Borralho will face the No. 5 ranked UFC middleweight. This is arguably his toughest test yet, as Cannonier is a veteran with explosive knockout power.

    The Brazilian prospect aims to get a title shot after his seventh straight win in the UFC. Here’s how he would like to beat Cannonier to stand alongside other top middleweight contenders like Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland…

    Caio Borralho Highlights The Importance Of Putting On A ‘Mature Performance’ Against Jared Cannonier

    Borralho discussed his next UFC fight on Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me Podcast recently. Although he’s prepared for adversity, “The Natural” looks forward to controlling the fight and landing the perfect KO shot or submission.

    At middleweight, Cannonier has been a hard nut to crack for most fighters, except for Israel Adesanya and Whittaker. His last loss to Nassourdine Imavov was seen as an early stoppage by many, including Borralho.

    As a result, “The Natural” understands the significance of an impressive win over Cannonier who’s always hard to take out or dominate.

    “Bisping, I’m finishing him with an amazing performance, like a mature performance. That’s what I need to show the UFC. A mature performance against a top contender, you know. For sure, I’m looking for the KO or for submitting him but the perfect way is that I’m gonna go there, be on his face all the time, put some jabs on him, get some good defense, and then catch him with a good counter punch.”

    Borralho looked back at the two occasions he’s called out Dricus Du Plessis after winning in the UFC. Interestingly, the UFC middleweight kingpin responded to one of his callouts on X, asking him to get a couple more wins in the promotion.

    Borralho has bagged three wins in the UFC since this interaction, which explains why he wants to get inside the Octagon with Du Plessis next.

    “I’m willing to face the strangest guy in the division. And I’m willing to beat his a**. You know, that’s what I’m going to say because I’ve been calling out him two times already so I think the third time UFC gonna hear me after a great feature on Cannonier.”

  • MMA Analyst Feels UFC Trying To Cut Costs With Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho Fight: ‘He’s Still On That S**tty Contract’

    MMA Analyst Feels UFC Trying To Cut Costs With Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho Fight: ‘He’s Still On That S**tty Contract’

    Josh Thomson recently suggested that the UFC might be cutting costs with the upcoming matchup between Jared Cannonier and Caio Borralho.

    The two middleweight contenders are poised to square off in the main event of a UFC Fight Night this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    Cannonier is fresh off a contentious fourth-round TKO loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night Louisville this past June. This setback halted the momentum “The Killa Gorilla” had built with his dominant consecutive victories over Marvin Vettori and Sean Strickland.

    Meanwhile, Borralho is riding high after delivering an impressive second-round knockout of Paul Craig at UFC 301 in May. “The Natural” is currently on a six-fight win streak, fueled by his back-to-back standout performances at Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021.

    This fight offers distinct opportunities for both fighters: Cannonier is eager to reestablish himself in the title conversation, while Borralho is aiming to break into the top 10 middleweight rankings with a victory this weekend.

    Thomson Believes UFC Sees Greater Potential In Borralho For The Future

    During a recent episode of the WEIGHING IN podcast with former MMA referee “Big” John McCarthy, Thomson delved into why the UFC might have paired a seasoned veteran like Cannonier with a rising prospect such as Borralho.

    “The Punk” speculated that the UFC might either be banking on the Brazilian to rise as a future force in the middleweight division or that this matchup could simply be a strategic move to trim expenses.

    “I think it’s two reasons why they do,” Thomson said. “One is Caio Borralho is someone we’re not paying a lot of money right now, and we’re probably paying Jared Cannonier maybe double, so that’s one reason. Second is Jared Cannonier is 40 years old, and we’re paying him all that money, but we know he won’t be around much longer.”

    “So let’s see if we can get the young stud an opportunity to get a win over a highly ranked fighter, and we can get him to fight top-level fighters for less money because he’s still on that sh*tty contract. So they’re going to keep—that’s the way this business works.”

  • Rising UFC Middleweight Contender Predicts UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya: ‘The Two Styles Don’t Match At All
’

    Rising UFC Middleweight Contender Predicts UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya: ‘The Two Styles Don’t Match At All
’

    One of the biggest fights of the year goes down this weekend at UFC 305 when Dricus Du Plessis looks to defend the middleweight title against Israel Adesanya.

    The two men have been on a collision course with one another for some time now, with all roads eventually leading to Perth, Australia on August 17.

    However, an interesting match-up doesn’t always make for the greatest of fights, especially when you have someone that is as skilled in one area as Adesanya.

    The former two-time champion presents a difficult test for Du Plessis who usually relies on his power, aggression and output to get his hand raised. which won’t be easy against the precision striking of “The Last Stylebender”.

    One of the division’s most exciting contenders believes that the clash of styles will end up going the way of the challenger.

    Caio Borralho Believes That Israel Adesanya Has The Advantage In This Style Match-up

    In a recent interview with Kevin Iole, Caio Borralho said that he believes Adesanya’s style will be a perfect counter to the constant forward motion of the champion.

    Borralho has gone 6-0 in the middleweight division and will now look to put himself in the title picture when he faces Jared Cannonier in his first main event spotlight.

    He sees that unlike what Sean Strickland was able to do against Adesanya in the shock upset at UFC 293 last year, Du Plessis doesn’t have the right style to stop the former champ from reclaiming the top spot.

    “I think this time, I think Adesanya is going to win this fight. I think stylistically, the two styles doesn’t match a little, doesn’t match at all. I think Dricus just goes forward, try to punch and push the pace up, but I think Israel Adesanya is going to manage the distance all the time, circle up and kick a lot on Dricus and I think he can win by decision during the fifth round or maybe a good knockout in the third round if Dricus gets tired.”

    Read also: Sean Strickland’s Coach Breaks Down Du Plessis vs. Adesanya: ‘You’re Not Gonna Find Many People That Fight Like Him
’

  • Caio Borralho Confident Of Beating ‘Old Man’ Jared Cannonier: ‘I Don’t Mean To Be Disrespectful…’ 

    Caio Borralho Confident Of Beating ‘Old Man’ Jared Cannonier: ‘I Don’t Mean To Be Disrespectful…’ 

    UFC middleweight contender Caio Borralho believes his youth will play a major factor against Jared Cannonier in their upcoming main event.

    The promotion recently announced a late-notice headliner for the UFC Fight Night at the Apex on August 24, with former 185-pound title challenger and top-five contender Cannonier defending his position on the ladder against a charging up-and-comer.

    Borralho is unbeaten in 15 fights since defeat in just his second professional bout, and he’s extended that run with a perfect 6-0 UFC record since breaking through on Dana White’s Contender Series three years ago.

    Having most recently knocked out Paul Craig in emphatic fashion at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro to climb to #12 in the middleweight pecking order, “The Natural” has received a major opportunity.

    And although “The Killa Gorilla” marks a big step up in competition for him, the Brazilian expects to be sharing the cage with a fading vet later this month…

    Borralho Sees Clear Advantage Over ‘Aging’ Cannonier

    During an interview with Mike Owens for InsideFighting, Borralho looked ahead to his recently announced maiden headliner on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

    While “The Natural” acknowledged the “scary” nature of Cannonier’s power, which has helped him become one of just two fighters to record knockouts across three UFC divisions, he believes the veteran is slowing down.

    And with the Brazilian approaching his prime as he rises the ranks at 185 pounds, Borralho is expecting to be the one who “breaks” the 40-year-old.

    “He’s number five in the world, so I think it will be a great opportunity for me to show my work and what I’m capable of,” Borralho said. “I’m very excited about this fight because Jared is a very scary guy; fought in three divisions, great knockout power. In the middleweight division, he’s only lost to two former champions. … He lost to Imavov but I think it was an early stoppage.

    “I think he’s a good guy to face because it’s gonna really test myself, and that’s what I really want. … I think it’s gonna be another clinical victory for myself,” Borralho continued. “(Cannonier) was slowing down (against Imavov). I saw his fight against Strickland; he did a very good pace, was with a good gas tank. But he was 37, I think 38. Now he’s 40, almost 41. I think the age — I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I think the age is coming at him. He’s kind of slowing down and not with the same gas tank. I think this will be the breaking point because I’m gonna put the pressure on. … The old man’s not gonna take it, with all due respect.”

    Borralho will look to prove that assessment correct come fight night on August 24. In doing so, he’s hoping to next face current champion Dricus Du Plessis in a title eliminator, as he expects the South African to lose his gold at the hands of Israel Adesanya this month.

    Whether or not that plan comes to fruition remains to be seen, but either way, a strong result at the expense of “The Killa Gorilla” will certainly leave him with a prime position in the title picture.

  • Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho Announced As Late-Notice UFC Fight Night Main Event On August 24

    Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho Announced As Late-Notice UFC Fight Night Main Event On August 24

    The Apex-held UFC Fight Night on August 24 finally has its headliner, and it’ll see a pair of top middleweights throw down.

    With less than three weeks remaining until the Las Vegas card, the UFC revealed the main event for Aug. 24 on Tuesday, announcing that Jared Cannonier (17-7) will defend his top-five ranking against the fast-rising Caio Borralho (16-1, 1 NC).

    The late-notice bout marks relatively quick turnarounds for both men, with the American controversially defeated by Nassourdine Imavov this past June and the Brazilian up-and-comer getting the better of Paul Craig the previous month.

    Cannonier Looks To Rebound From Debated TKO Loss, Blemish Borralho’s Perfect UFC Record

    When he makes his return for a second headliner of the summer, the #5-ranked Cannonier will look to quickly erase the memory of his difficult setback two months ago.

    The former title challenger, who is one of just two fighters in UFC history to record knockouts in three different weight classes, has been pursuing a second shot at the 185-pound gold since falling short against Israel Adesanya in 2022. While that journey got underway well with wins over then-future champ Sean Strickland and Marvin Vettori, his progress was stalled in controversial fashion when referee Jason Herzog deemed him unable to continue following an onslaught from Imavov in their Louisville headliner.

    A couple of months on from that widely questioned setback, Cannonier will return for redemption at the expense of Borralho, a Dana White’s Contender Series alum who has risen to #12 in the division’s top 15 courtesy of a perfect 6-0 record inside the Octagon. “The Natural” most recently secured his second performance bonus by knocking out Craig at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro this past May.

    With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at the UFC Fight Night event on Aug. 24 are as follows:

    • Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho (middleweight main event)
    • Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales (welterweight)
    • Angela Hill vs. Tabatha Ricci (women’s strawweight)
    • Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Gerald Meerschaert (middleweight)
    • Josiane Nunes vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti (women’s bantamweight)
    • Dennis Buzukja vs. Danny Silva (featherweight)
    • JosĂ© Medina vs. Zachary Reese (middleweight)
    • Viacheslav Borshchev vs. James Llontop (lightweight)
    • Wang Cong vs. Victoria Leonardo (women’s flyweight)