Team Fighting Nerds got the upper hand when two generations of middleweight fighters collided at the UFC’s Apex Facility in Vegas. Brazil’s Caio Borralho continued his blitzkrieg, handing former MW title contender, Jared Cannonier his second back-to-back loss to take home a staggering $250k plus purse in his first-ever main event appearance.
CAIO BORRALHO DROPS JARED CANNONIER LATE IN THE FIFTH!!#UFC #MMA
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 25, 2024
What started as an evenly matched bout turned into a one-sided affair with ‘The Natural’ catching the 40-year-old veteran, Cannonier with some cracking shots. Despite opening up a gnarly cut on the Brazilian, Cannonier was decked by massive shots in the final frame that earned Borralho the majority decision, earning him the $150k guaranteed purse plus the $100k win bonus, not to mention his sponsorship benefits.
As for the ‘Killa Gorilla,’ he took home the $350k guaranteed purse along with an additional $21k from sponsors as per sportysalaries.com. With this win, Borralho extended his winning streak to 9-0 in the promotion, improving his position in the standings while Cannonier was faced with bitter defeat.
Following the sensational win, Borralho called out the champion, Dricus du Plessis for a scrap.
Borralho issues challenge to champion du Plessis after UFC Vegas 96 after decimating Cannonier
Brazil’s Caio Borralho just put out a statement, defeating America’s Jared Cannonier in a barnburner of a main event. Following the win, Caio announced his arrival and issued a challenge to the champion, Dricus du Plessis, saying,
“Dricus Du Plessis, get your a** over here!”
Although Borralho was outside the top 10 in the standings before facing Cannonier, the undefeated prospect surged to the top with this win. The official scores were 49-45, 49-45, and 48-46.
While the champion has yet to respond to the callout, a matchup between the Brazilian and the unorthodox Proteas would be a dream bout skillful MMA on full display. However, that bout will have to be scheduled for the distant future as Uncle Dana has already revealed that Sean Strickland will get the next crack at the title.
