UFC Vegas 96 just delivered an action-packed night of fights for fans worldwide as middleweight Caio Borralho nearly knocked Jared Cannonier out in the fifth and final round of the main event.
UFC Vegas 96’s main event featured a highly skilled clash between No. 5-ranked Jared Cannonier (17-8-0) and the surging No. 12-ranked Caio Borralho (17-1-0, 1NC) over five hard-fought rounds.
Click here to watch Caio Borralho’s post-fight press conference. Footage via ‘MMA Junkie’ on YouTube.
UFC Vegas 96 Main Event: Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho
The face of ‘The Fighting Nerds’ gym, Borralho, came to fight in this UFC Apex main event as he continued throwing bludgeoning blows until the final bell.
Borralho, an extremely talented grappler with a physically imposing frame, decided to refrain from grappling with Cannonier.
Opting for a bold strategy, the 31-year-old Brazilian rising star chose to stand and trade hard punches and kicks with the seasoned fighter Cannonier, showcasing his courage and tactical acumen.
Over five rounds, Borralho successfully established a stiff jab out of a southpaw stance. Mixed with chopping low kicks, the younger fighter looked to be the more active of the two.
Throughout the five rounds, Borralho repeatedly used a powerful step-in knee to Cannonier’s body, demonstrating his effective use of techniques and the impact of his strikes.
Cannonier’s best round came in the second. In this round, he out-landed Borralho and, at one point, had him slightly staggered following a hard punch.
Cannonier fought hard to stay competitive with the younger fighter in this main event bout; however, Borralho’s persistent pressure and boxing made for a tough night.
Come the fifth and final round, Borralho landed a short yet devastating left straight precisely on the chin of Cannonier. This punch sent blood ejecting out of the nose of Cannonier as he slowly fell to the cage and canvas.
From there, Borralho followed up with more devastating ground and pound. However, Cannonier managed to stay in the fight until the final bell.
Result: Borralho via Unanimous Decision (49-45, 49-45, 48-46)
UFC Vegas 96 Co-main Event: Angela Hill vs. Tabatha Ricci
UFC Vegas 96’s co-main event featured a nonstop paced three round scrap between No. 9-ranked Angela Hill (17-14-0) and No. 11-ranked Tabatha Ricci (11-2-0).
The UFC Vegas 96 fight was so intense that it left many fight pundits and fans worldwide questioning the judges’ scorecards, underlining the extreme closeness of the match.
Both fighters in this three-rounder met expectations, engaging in a relentless, grueling pace that left them both utterly exhausted by the end of the fight.
Ricci was the constant aggressor in this fight as she kept trekking forward into Hill’s counterpunching.
Hill implemented a solid attack on the body of the incoming Ricci as she would consistently land straight to the liver.
Hill followed this bodywork up with punches to Ricci’s head; however, Ricci seemed to be the fresher fighter, as she would often land a hard right hand on Hill’s face while continuing to pressure forward.
Towards the latter half of the fight, Hill threw many step-in elbows, successfully landing.
Ricci smartly would look to grapple near the end of the rounds as she slickly secured control time in such closely fought rounds. This strategy paid dividends for the Brazilian as she ultimately was given the nod on all three judges’ scorecards.
Result: Ricci via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales
The young and undefeated Ecuadorian rising star Michael Morales (17-0-0) impressed fans with an emphatic stoppage victory over the well-experienced No. 12-ranked welterweight Neil Magny (29-13-0).
The welterweight division can confidently say there is a new young gun. The undefeated Ecuadorian Morales delivered a sensational TKO stoppage over the long-time veteran and deemed ‘gatekeeper’ of the welterweight division, Magny.
The 25-year-old had to display sound grappling defense and patience in this UFC Vegas 96 three-round bout as he weathered the grappling efforts of Magny up against the cage.
After creating enough separation for his wrists and hands while against the cage, Morales stunned the audience with a highlight reverse elbow on Magny. This unexpected move sent Magny tumbling to the canvas, clearly dazed from the shot.
From there, Morales took over and got on top of Magny, flattening him out on his stomach and delivering a barrage of ground and pound until the referee was forced to call the fight.
Result: Morales via TKO/KO R1 (Punches)
Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Gerald Meerschaert
This fun stylistic matchup at middleweight between the savvy veteran Gerald Meerschaert (37-17-0) and the talented young fighter Edmen Shahbazyan (13-5-0) delivered the goods as Meerschaert completed a shocking comeback effort.
Meerschaert is an extremely hard fighter to gauge, as you never know what trick he will pull out of his hat. The 54-fight mixed martial arts veteran added to his career accolades at UFC Vegas 96 with his second-round submission over Edmen Shahbazyan.
The 36-year-old Meerschaert surpassed the legendary Anderson Silva for the most finishes in UFC middleweight division history with this shocking comeback win over the young and talented Shahbazyan.
That said, the fight played out with Shahbazyan looking to pressure Meerschaert as he looked to land crisp strikes.
Meerschaert fought solidly from the backfoot as he landed good kicks on the body of the incoming Shahbazyan.
The fight took a turn when Meerschaert was stung with a brutal body shot in the second round. The match then transitioned to the canvas as Shahbazyan attempted to capitalize on the situation with a flurry of strikes.
However, he failed and ultimately paid the price as he tired out, which led Meerschaert to successfully reverse his position and end up on top of Shahbazyan.
In a swift move, Meerschaert, a talented grappler, locked in a tight arm triangle. This forced Shahbazyan to tap, sealing the victory for Meerschaert in a dramatic fashion.
Result: Meerschaert via Submission (Arm Triangle) R2
Other Fights on UFC Vegas 96
Main Card:
- (185 lbs.) Robert Valentin (11-4-0, 1NC) vs. Ryan Loder (8-1): Loder via TKO/KO R2
- (145 lbs.) Kaan Ofli (12-3-1) vs. Mairon Santos (15-1-0): Santos via TKO/KO R2
Prelims:
- (155 lbs.) Dennis Buzukja (12-5-0) vs. Francis Marshall (8-2-0): Marshall via Decision
- (185 lbs.) Zachary Reese (8-1-0) vs. Jose Medina (11-4-0): Reese via Decision
- (155 lbs.) Viascheslav Borshchev (8-4-1) vs. James Llontop(14-4-0): Borshchev via Decision
- (W 135 lbs.) Jacqueline Cavelcanti (7-1-0) vs. Josiane Nunes (10-3-0): Cavelcanti via Decision
- (W 125 lbs.) Wang Cong (6-0-0) vs. Victoria Leonardo (9-7-0): Cong via TKO/KO R1
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