UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Borralho Preview and Predictions

The UFC is back in action this Saturday, Aug. 24, at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, featuring a fight night of top middleweight contenders. This Saturday, UFC fans will be treated with a classic veteran-versus-rising-contender matchup that features middleweights Jared Cannonier and Caio Borralho. Cannonier has been competing in the UFC Octagon since 2015 and has appeared in three different weight classes over the last decade including heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight. He was unsuccessful in capturing UFC gold when he faced Israel Adesanya in 2022, but he has continued to prove he is still worthy of a top-five middleweight ranking over the last several years. On the other side of the Octagon stands Caio Borralho, who is currently riding a six-fight unbeaten streak inside the UFC and has not suffered a professional loss since Jul. 2015. Borralho will look to make a name for himself by defeating Cannonier and establishing himself as a top five middleweight going into Q4 of 2024.

The co-main event features a women’s flyweight matchup between the always entertaining Angela Hill and Brazilian Tabitha Ricci. Both women are currently top-15 flyweights in the UFC’s women’s flyweight division, and the winner will likely find themselves facing an opponent higher in the rankings for their next Octagon appearance.

The main card also features The Ultimate Fighter 32 Finale matchups that were decided last Spring. The middleweight finale features elite wrestler Ryan Loder of Team Shevchenko against the ultra aggressive Robert Valentin of Team Grasso. The featherweight finale features a classic grappler-versus-striker matchup between teammates Kaan Ofili and Mairon Santos of Team Grasso. All four men will be competing to become the next Ultimate Fighter and begin their rise in the UFC come Saturday night.
UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Borralho airs live in its entirety on ESPN+ starting at 7 p.m. ET with the main card also airing on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET. Combat Press writers Andrew Sumian and Matt Petela preview the action in this week’s Toe-toe-Toe.

Caio Borralho hasn’t lost since 2015; can the Brazilian get a victory in his first UFC main event?

Sumian: This is a massive step-up in competition for the twelfth-ranked Caio Borralho. However, a win for the Brazilian will launch him into the top six of the middleweight rankings and put him in a position to fight for a potential title eliminator bout in 2025. For Jared Cannonier, a win to further secure his No. 5 ranking at 185 pounds is crucial, and he will need to bring his A-game to take out the hungry Borralho.

Borralho’s UFC career thus far has been nothing short of successful. In his last three bouts, he has defeated Michael Oleksiejczuk, Abus Magomedov, and most recently Paul Craig. His climb towards the top 15 of the UFC middleweight rankings has been consistent and perfectly timed. He is incredibly well-rounded and holds black belts in Muay Thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Borralho has every tool necessary to become a UFC title contender, and a win over Cannonier puts him in a position to be fighting for the belt in late 2025 or early 2026.

There comes a time in every fighter’s career where they are simply cooked. This can be caused by a significant amount of fights, injuries, or perhaps suffering brutal losses inside the Octagon. Fortunately, Cannonier is not cooked despite being 40 years old and competing in the UFC since 2015. The Texas native is still capable of putting on impressive performances and defeating top-tier middleweights when he brings his A-game to the table. However, his biggest issue has always been pulling the trigger. The Cannonier that destroyed Marvin Vettori for five straight rounds is very different from the one that fought Israel Adesanya at UFC 276. If he is able to channel his inner warrior, Cannonier can beat many of the best middleweights on any given night.

This is a fairly good main event for a UFC Fight Night and should bring out the best of each fighter. For Borralho, the key to victory is being aggressive and consistently pressuring his opponent. Cannonier tends to fade and struggle when his opponents consistently move forward and pressure with combinations and leg kicks. For Cannonier, he will need to utilize his experience and power punches to look for openings and counters. This fight will not go to the scorecards. Somebody will get a finish, and that somebody will be Cannonier. He will be able to keep up with the young gun and eventually land a vicious punch that sends Borralho to the canvas before finishing with ground strikes. Cannonier is not done just yet, but he will likely never find himself fighting for a title again.

Petela: Maybe I’m becoming jaded in my old age, but I just haven’t been able to get excited for the last several UFC events, and this one is no different. In my opinion, Jared Cannonier is one of the hardest fighters to look good against in victory or defeat. That’s the exact opposite of what Caio Borralho needs at this stage in his career. A high-profile fight is great, but literally any other contender would have been a better showcase.

That being said, I do think that Borralho will find a way to get the win. He will keep Cannonier on the back foot for the majority of the fight and not allow the “Killa Gorilla” to get into a rhythm. This fight will probably look clunky to most observers, with exchanges that see neither man land many flush strikes. Borralho will do the better work and leave Cannonier with a bruise or two, but this one goes the distance, and it isn’t exactly the shining performance Borralho needs to catapult himself into contender status.

Angela Hill has won four of her last five fights; can the Maryland born fighter topple Tabatha Ricci?

Petela: Angela Hill is an easy fighter to root for, especially because she and I hail from the same home state. She is supremely technically sound, combined with a grittiness as a fighter that can’t really be taught. However, I don’t think she gets the job done this weekend.

I see this fight as a changing of the guard. Hill is 39 years old and much closer to the end of her career than the beginning. Tabatha Ricci is a decade younger than Hill and just beginning to enter her prime. The fighters have different fighting styles, but there are similarities. They are both tough fighters who will fight anyone at any time. Neither of them are the most talented in the division, and probably won’t ever wear gold, but they are always worth tuning in to see fight. I expect to see Ricci control position and earn a lopsided decision, working her way towards becoming the next strawweight version of Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.

Sumian: This should be a back and forth co-main event between two women who always come to fight. I tend to favor Angela Hill’s experience in this bout and believe she will be able to come out on top with a split or unanimous decision. This fight won’t be anything to write home about, but both women will be active and consistently trying to exchange for all three rounds.

What one fighter’s UFC career is on the ropes at this event?

Sumian: Edmen Shahbazyan. I do not believe he will be cut if he loses to Gerald Meerschaert, but a loss to an aged veteran will certainly throw him further down the pecking order at middleweight. Shahbazyan has lost a majority of the steam he had in 2019 and has suffered some brutal losses to the best of the best at middleweight. He desperately needs to go on a streak to keep his hopes of being a top contender alive and a win over Meerschaert will show the world he still has more to offer.

Petela: Victoria Leonardo. She has struggled mightily since joining the UFC. Her record sits at 1-3 in the promotion, with all three of her losses coming by stoppage. If that isn’t the recipe for a must-win fight, I don’t know what is these days. If she falls short against the promotional debutant Cong Wang, I suspect she will find herself on the unemployment line.

Which fight is the sleeper match-up on this card?

Petela: Viacheslav Borshchev vs. James Llontop. Both of these guys come into this fight on the heels of a loss and need a win badly. That alone should make this a fun fight, but when combined with “SlavaClaus” always being a fan favorite I’d say that this fight is definitely worth tuning in early to catch.

Sumian: Cong Wang versus Victoria Leonardo should be a fun one. Wang is 5-0 in her UFC career and is making her official UFC debut. She will look to impress with a big performance and do her best to take our Leonardo. Leonardo is a get-or-get-got fighter in every capacity. She is always looking to push the action and this has caused her to suffer three losses by knockout in the UFC. Both women will get the show going with a fun opening bout.

Who takes home the “Performance of the Night” honors?

Sumian: Michael Morales. Morales is an elite striker and has finished 11 opponents by knockout. He has the tools and skills necessary to negate Neil Magny similar to how Ian Garry did at UFC 292. Morales will pick apart the veteran and eventually find a finish in Round 2 or Round 3.

Petela: Dennis Buzukja. He is seemingly hitting his stride with the UFC, picking up his first win and stoppage inside the promotion. He makes it two statement wins in a row and stops Francis Marshall, who has lost his last two contests.

Pair this card with…

Petela: I have a feeling Andrew is a bit more optimistic than I am about this card, because I think it is going to stink for the most part. In order to keep yourself engaged, make sure to open up your sportsbook app and place a few small wagers on the prelims so you actually have a reason to watch the early fights.

Sumian: Comfort food. The UFC has put on some of the worst Fight Nights in 2024. This card is certainly not that. It has the appropriate name value and matchups to deliver a comfortable and predictable fight night. It won’t be special, but it will remind fight fans that decent fight nights in the Apex do still exist and provide some hope for the future of UFC fight nights.