The UFC returned to the Apex for a fight night this weekend headed by Jared Cannonier and Caio Borralho. The Brazilian fighter made a statement win putting on a masterclass in striking and grappling on his way to a unanimous decision win. Borralho has since garnered a lot of praise from fans and pundits alike, including influencer Nina-Marie Daniele, who believe he could be the next big thing.
Cannonier is a veteran of the sport and has fought some of the very best at 185-pounds. So, he was a good litmus test for Borralho as he was the highest ranked fighter ‘The Natural’ had faced so far. Needless to say, the Brazilian passed with flying colors.
.. .
..so much so that, Nina Marie Daniele predicted a championship reign in his future.
The five round affair started with Borralho asserting his dominance from the very first round. ‘The Natural’ quickly established that he is the better striker of the two. He kept Cannonier on the outside in order to avoid his right hand.
While doing that, the Brazilian picked him apart from the outside, landing a beautiful variety of shots and also leg kicks to slow down his target. Cannonier looked frustrated from the outset as he was not able to find the target and swung wildly multiple times. Borralho is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu but he did not even need to demonstrate his grappling skills as his hands were more than enough to get the job done.
The defining moment of the fight came in the fifth round when Borralho landed an inc.