LAS VEGAS, NV – AUGUST 23: (L-R) Brazilian opponents Jared Cannonier and Caio Borrallo face off during the UFC Fight Night weigh-ins at UFC APEX on August 23, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Middleweight Caio Borrallo will compete in the main event of UFC Las Vegas 96 on Saturday alongside Jared Cannonier despite being ranked outside the top 10.
A member of the Fighting Nerds camp, Cannonier was riding a six-fight winning streak, so a matchup with a former title challenger and top contender was a natural fit. Coming into the night, Cannonier was ranked No. 5 in the UFC’s 185-pound division.
Borrallo started the bout with a jab that definitely caught “Killa Gorilla” Cannonier’s attention. Beyond that, there was plenty of feinting and footwork in the match, making it a chess-like affair. As the round progressed, Borrallo landed some quick and powerful high kicks that Cannonier blocked. The Brazilian also ripped through the body with kicks, attacking Cannonier’s lead leg multiple times throughout the round. In the final minute, Cannonier was able to land some combos that Borrallo defended.
The second round was a fierce exchange, this time with Cannonier landing a hit that rocked Borrallo. Borrallo appeared to slow down and Cannonier was able to read the punch well and easily dodge it. Borrallo’s movement was hampered ever since the hit and it took him a good chunk of the round to get his rhythm back. At the end of the round, Cannonier landed hard again, catching Borrallo on the side of the head with a left hand that landed.
Borrallo landed a left early in the third round, looking to turn the tide in his favor again. Cannonier landed a right just over a minute in. Cannonier appeared to find his range and continued the success he had achieved in the second round throughout the first half of the round. However, in the second half of the round Borrallo put Cannonier on the back foot, landing multiple hurting left hands and continuing his heavy attack. Cannonier went down to his knees with just a few seconds left in the third round, but recovered and Borrallo nearly ended the bout.
In the fourth round, Cannonier kept Borrallo at bay with repeated jabs. This was a wise move, as Cannonier had not fully recovered from the third round. Cannonier landed two right hands in the space of a minute, but Borrallo continued to push Cannonier back against the cage. At least Cannonier seemed to have regained his senses. As the round progressed, Cannonier started to land bigger punches, landing a big three-punch combination with just under two minutes left. The result was damage to Borrallo’s right eye, but Cannonier slipped up before Borrallo had a chance.
The two finished the fourth round trading blows, with Borrallo punching away Cannonier’s mouthguard, only for Jared to catch it and put it back on.
If the fight hadn’t been evenly matched, Borrallo might have been leading 3-1 going into the fifth round. But it could well have been a tie, and the final round was crucial for both men. The fight continued, with Cannonier attacking the body a bit. Near the middle of the fight, Borrallo landed a flurry of punches that unsettled Cannonier. Shortly after, his mouthpiece flew off and the referee briefly called for time to retrieve it. But that wasn’t enough for Cannonier to recover, and a few minutes later, Borrallo knocked him down! Borrallo got on top and unleashed a ferocious pace of ground-and-pound, but somehow, Cannonier survived. With just over a minute left, Borrallo switched to elbows, then an arm-triangle choke. The choke was tight, and the referee checked Cannonier, but he gave him a thumbs up. Cannonier actually escaped and finished the bout on the stand, but after the fifth round it looked like Borrallo had had enough.
Official result: Kaio Borrajo defeats Jared Cannonier via unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 48-46)
