The UFC middleweight division has a new contender. Caio Borralho stepped up to the plate against his most experienced opponent, defeating Jared Cannonier in a competitive Fight Night main event to cement himself as an elite middleweight.
“I’m the new face, even with some scratches,” Borralho, sporting a bloody gash under his right eye, told UFC commentator Michael Bisping during his post-fight interview. “Everyone who sees these glasses should be afraid.”
Borralho, 31, and Cannonier, 40, went back and forth in a striking battle between two generations of UFC middleweights. Borralho leaned on angles, footwork and diverse striking to flummox his opponent. Former title challenger Cannonier relied primarily on powerful boxing but utilized stance switches to mask his attacks.
Saturday’s main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas was abundant with momentum swings. Borralho repeatedly put Cannonier off balance in leg kicks in Round 1. Cannonier and Borralho wobbled their foes in Rounds 2 and 3, respectively. Borralho landed more strikes in Round 4 but Cannonier opened a nasty gash under the younger fighter’s right eye.
With everything to fight for in the final round, Borralho seized the opportunity. Borralho repeatedly slipped and ripped Cannonier, eventually dropping him with a punch against the fence. Cannonier’s delayed reaction to the knockdown spelled peril but he persevered an onslaught of offense. It was a validating show of heart and durability from Cannonier after he claimed that his recent loss to Nassourdine Imavov was premature. Borralho tried to lock in a Von Flue choke but had to settle for a decision win. The unanimous decision read 49-45, 49-45 and 48-46, likely due to 10-8 scorecards for Borralho in Round 5.
“You know who I want next. I’ve called you out two times already. You’ve already beat Sean [Strickland]. You’ve already beat [Israel] Adesanya. You already beat all these guys. So Dricus du Plessis, get your ass over here or in South Africa,” Borralho said, calling out the UFC middleweight champion. “I’m coming for you, boy!”
Borralho improved to 17-1, 1 NC and is undefeated in 17 fights. The Brazilian fighter entered as the UFC’s No. 12 ranked middleweight but will likely usurp Cannonier’s No. 5 spot on Monday. Cannonier dropped to 17-8 and has lost consecutive fights for the first time since moving to middleweight in 2018.
