Caio Borralho continues to impress with each performance in the octagon, as he most recently secured a unanimous decision win over former title challenger, Jared Cannonier. The pair headlined UFC Vegas 96 in an exciting matchup, and the clash did not disappoint.
Both men landed thudding blows throughout the fight, and were both wobbled with punches. But the crisp 1-2 combination landed by the Brazilian in the closing stages of Round 5 was the biggest moment of the fight, with 'The Gorilla' looking out of his feet before crashing to the canvas.
Referee ufc-san-antonio" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Dan Miragliotta, who was in charge of the bout, did not intervene and stop the fight, something that 'The Natural' disagreed with during his post-fight press conference.
The 31-year old appeared in front of the media following his epic performance, and discussed the fifth-round moment, saying this:
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"Jared is a very dangerous opponent. I think the fight went well, my jab was on point. My calf kicks were on point. I just did the job. I almost got the finish, I think the referee should have stopped the fight because Jared was very [badly hurt]. It is what it is, I'm very thankful to be there for 25 minutes with one of the best in the world. Tell me one guy that did that to Jared, tell me."
Watch Caio Borralho's interview below (1:00):
Caio Borralho eyes middleweight top 5 following victory over Jared Cannonier
Caio Borralho extended his UFC record to 7-0 with a superb performance against Jared Cannonier at UFC Vegas 96. The pair went to war for all five rounds, and secured the Fight of the Night performance bonus for their efforts.
Borralho has long spoken about the confidence he has to be the next middleweight champion, and following his victory over Cannonier, hopes to find himself in the division's top 5 rankings.
With 'The Gorilla' having occupied the fifth-ranking ahead of their clash, it appears likely that the Brazilian will move from No.12 to No.5.
He was interviewed by presenter Megan Olivi following his victory, where he said:
"I caught him with some good jabs, and I think all these jabs hide my left hand. And when I touched him with my left hand, he felt [it] all the time. But he's so durable, so tough, he's been with the best in the world for so many years... I hope to see my name on Tuesday in the Top 5 of the division, and I'm coming for that belt."
Watch Caio Borralho's interview below (0:20):