UFC Fight Night results, highlights: Caio Borralho beats Jared Cannonier in five-round thriller

The UFC middleweight division has a new contender. Caio Borralho put up a strong challenge against his most experienced opponent, defeating Jared Cannonier in a competitive Fight Night main event to establish himself as one of the best middleweights around.

“I’m a new face, albeit with some bruises,” Borralho said in a post-fight interview with UFC commentator Michael Bisping with a bloodied gash under his right eye. “Everyone who sees these glasses should be scared.”

Borralho, 31, and Cannonier, 40, went back and forth in a striking battle between two generations of UFC middleweights. Borralho relied on angles, footwork and varied striking to outwit his opponent. Former title contender Cannonier relied primarily on powerful punching but used stance changes to disguise his attacks.

Saturday’s main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas featured several momentum swings. Borralho knocked Cannonier off balance with repeated leg kicks in Round 1. Cannonier and Borralho staggered their opponents 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 took advantage of the opportunity. Borralho repeatedly slipped and ripped Cannonier apart, eventually dropping him with a punch against the fence. Cannonier’s delayed reaction to the knockdown was in danger, but he withstood the attack. It was a legitimate display of heart and toughness from Cannonier, as he claimed his recent win was a victory over the US Open. Losing to Nassourdin Imawow was prematureBorralho tried to lock in the Von Flue choke but had to settle for a decision win. The unanimous decision was 49-45, 49-45 and 48-46, possibly due to a 10-8 scorecard for Borralho in round 5.

“You know who I want next. I’ve called you out twice already. You’ve already beaten Shawn [Strickland].you have already defeated [Israel] Adesanya. You’ve already beaten all these guys. So Dricus du Plessis, go here or to South Africa,” Borralho said, calling out to the UFC middleweight champion. “I’m coming for you, son!”

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 take away Cannonier’s No. 5 spot on Monday. Cannonier falls to 17-8 and has lost consecutive fights for the first time since moving up to middleweight in 2018.