Caio ‘The Natural’ Borralho and Jared ‘The Killa Gorilla’ Cannonier faced each other at the UFC Vegas 96 this weekend. Borralho’s fierce attitude ahead of his fight was constant as he aimed to make a name for himself. During the fight, the way the Brazilian made a mess of Cannonier’s face went viral. The fighter from ‘Fighting Nerds’ may not be a nerd when it comes to dishing out violence.
In the past three years, Caio Borralho has become a standout fighter in the UFC middleweight division. With a streak of exceptional victories, Borralho was scheduled to fight one of the toughest fighters in the division. The five-round fight between the Brazilian and the Killa Gorilla witnessed an absolute blood bath. As such, even the moments went viral quickly.
Borralho, in particular, wanted a fight against Cannonier for a long time. Per the Brazilian, the UFC veteran is a gateway to gaining higher ranks in the division. Even after his victory at UFC 301 against Paul Craig, Borralho immediately called out the Killa Gorilla.
At UFC Vegas 96, the promotion finally fulfilled the Brazilian fighter’s wish. Borralho seized this opportunity as his only chance to reach the UFC middleweight gold. In a hard-fought battle of 25 minutes, the Brazilian thrashed Cannonier with a huge significant strike difference. Following this, he became victorious via unanimous decision.
As for Cannonier, it was the second defeat he faced this year. Interestingly, during the Borralho vs. Cannonier fight, there was a controversial moment when the Killa Gorilla was stunned for a few seconds. However, against everyone’s expectations, the referee did not call for the stoppage.
Caio Borralho talks about the potential stoppage moment at UFC Vegas 96
Referees play a major role in the fight game. As such, they can stop the fights at any second. On several occasions, the referees’ decisions during a fight backfire as the netizens slam them horribly. The recent fight between Caio Borralho and Jared Cannonier also witnessed such an incident.
Caio Borralho and Jared Cannonier at UFC Vegas 96 (Image via X)During the last round of the fight, Borralho stunned Cannonier with a strong left jab. Everyone, including the Brazilian, expected the referee would stop the fight, but that didn’t happen. Later, Borralho attended the post-fight press conference to talk about that moment. The Brazilian fighter was seemingly disappointed with the referee.
I think the fight went good. My jab was on point. My calf kicks was on point and I just did the job. I almost got the finish. I think the ref should have stopped the fight because Jared (Cannonier) was very bad but it is what it is.
Caio Borralho via UFC Vegas 96 post fight presser
Later, Borralho thanked the Killa Gorilla for sharing the octagon with him. With this exceptional victory, the Brazilian might enter in the top 10 UFC middleweight rankings. However, now it remains to be seen who will be the next challenge for him.
