UFC Vegas 96 takes place this Saturday, August 24th at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Middleweights Jared Cannonier and Caio Borralho will take to the main stage over five rounds as they look to fight their way to the title.
Click here to watch all the fighters’ matchups at UFC Vegas 96. Footage via MMA Junkie.
The main event of UFC Vegas 96 features an interesting clash of styles as former title challenger Jared Cannonier (17-7-0) and No. 5 in the world takes on rising Brazilian phenom Caio Borralho (16-1-0, 1NC) and No. 12 in the world.
UFC Vegas 96 Main Event: Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho
Borralho, 31, enters this five-round clash as the moderate favorite as he looks to remain undefeated in the UFC.
Borralho, the face of the up-and-coming Fighting Nerds gym, showed off his improved striking game in his last appearance in May, when he knocked out veteran Paul Craig in the second round.
The 40-year-old Cannonier suffered a controversial technical knockout loss to talented French striker Nassourdine Imavov in June.
A proven and experienced fighter, Cannonier has defeated the likes of Sean Strickland, Marvin Vettori, Kelvin Gastelum and Anderson Silva. However, at this age, it’s unclear how much Cannonier has left in the tank as he continues to fight elite talent at middleweight.
Still, I expect Borralho to catch up to Cannonier as the younger man will be well prepared and will look to implement a clever game plan.
Borralho’s strengths in this fight are forcing Cannonier to wrestle and pushing him with his back to the cage.
The Brazilian fights as a left-hander and aims to deliver hard kicks to Cannonier’s body and prepare his jab.
Cannonier certainly has the power advantage over the two and will look to put pressure on Borralho’s face while maintaining favorable striking distance with his longer reach.
Borralho must avoid Cannonier’s power when he goes into a punching rage, especially when attempting takedowns.
Borralho will likely take Cannonier to the ground and quickly move to the back, where he will threaten with chokeholds from behind.
I trust in Cannonier’s experience and decision-making skills, but I am convinced that Borralho will win the early rounds with takedowns, control and calculated pressure.
Forecast: Borralho on decision
UFC Vegas 96 Co-Main Event: Angela Hill vs. Tabatha Ricci
The co-main event of UFC Vegas 96 features a women’s strawweight bout between No. 9 ranked Angela Hill (17-13-0) and No. 11 ranked Tabatha Ricci (10-2-0) to be contested over three rounds.
These strawweights want to make a statement with the chance to win a spot in the co-main event.
Hill, 39, will try to defend her ranking as she faces the younger, less experienced Ricci.
Hill has won two fights in a row. In May, she impressively defeated Luana Pinheiro in the second round.
Ricci, on the other hand, is coming off a narrow split decision victory over Tecia Pennington in May, a testament to her resilience and determination.
However, I believe Hill is the more talented of the two fighters and her clear striking advantage will be the deciding factor in this three-round women’s strawweight bout at UFC Vegas 96.
Ricci will try to close the distance and tackle Hill, a better striker. However, Hill’s extensive experience will shine through in these situations and convince the audience that she will nullify Ricci’s grappling efforts.
Forecast: Hill on decision
Neil Magny vs Michael Morales
A tough duel awaits the promising young fighter of UFC Vegas 96, as the undefeated Michael Morales (16-0-0) will compete in three rounds against the long-time UFC veteran and 12th-ranked Neil Magny (29-12-0).
This welterweight fight at UFC Vegas 96 promises to be an exciting spectacle, as Morales’ undefeated record and ambitions to break into the top 15 in the rankings create a wave of anticipation and excitement.
Magny, the determined underdog, will challenge the highly anticipated Morales, with his goal being to exceed all expectations and make a lasting impression in this duel.
Magny just scored an impressive comeback win over Canadian Mike Malott in front of a Canadian crowd at UFC 297. Magny mounted Malott and delivered a sustained barrage of ground-and-pound strikes that forced the referee to stop the fight.
As for Morales, his last appearance was an impressive points win over the solid Jake Matthews in November 2023.
Given Morales’ superior athleticism, I expect him to dominate Magny for three intense rounds.
Morales is the more explosive of the two and I am convinced that this will make the decisive difference in this duel at UFC Vegas 96.
Morales will have the edge in these three rounds as a faster and more powerful striker.
Magny will look to weather Morales’ early barrage of strikes and push the pace of the less experienced fighter.
His best chance is to tire Morales out enough to get him back in the cage and control him from there, or he can try to take him down.
Magny is a threat of submissions, but I don’t think Morales will fall into the experienced fighter’s traps.
Forecast: Morales by decision
Edmen Shahbazyan against Gerald Meerschaert
The main card of UFC Vegas 96 begins with an exciting three-round clash between unranked middleweights Edmen Shahbazyan (13-4-0) and Gerald Meerschaert (36-17-0).
This stylistic clash between these middleweights, strategically placed as the opening card for the main card, promises to be an entertaining start to the event.
Once a highly touted prospect, Shahbazyan is on a mission to restore his status by facing seasoned UFC veteran Meerschaert in the Octagon.
Shahbazyan last fought in the cage against AJ Dobson, where he capped off an impressive performance with an emphatic first-round TKO stoppage.
Meerschaert’s last appearance in the cage was in March, when he secured a dominant second-round submission victory over Bryan Barberena.
Nevertheless, I consider Shahbazyan to be the more sophisticated and powerful striker of the two, who will ultimately deliver the decisive blow to the experienced Meerschaert.
Shahbazyan has plenty of punches in his pocket and will try to keep Meerschaert at bay until he lands the decisive blow.
Meerschaert’s best path to victory is to impose his will on Shahbazyan and make the fight in the cage a grueling experience.
The combination of cage control and dirty boxing could benefit the veteran as he faces the more dynamic striker in this UFC Vegas 96 clash.
Forecast: Shahbazyan by TKO/KO R2
Other fights at UFC Vegas 96
Main map:
- (185 lbs.) Robert Valentin (11-3-0, 1NC) vs. Ryan Loder (7-1): Valentin by TKO/KO R2
- (145 pounds) Kaan Ofli (12-2-1) vs. Mairon Santos (14-1-0): Santos by decision
Front page:
- (155 pounds) Dennis Buzukja (12-4-0) vs. Francis Marshall (7-2-0): Buzukja on decision
- (185 pounds) Zachary Reese (7-1-0) vs. Jose Medina (11-3-0): Reese by TKO/KO R1
- (155 pounds) Viascheslav Borshchev (7-4-1) vs. (14-3-0): Borschtschew by TKO/KO R3
- (W 135 lbs.) Jacqueline Cavelcanti (6-1-0) vs. Josiane Nunes (10-2-0): Nunes by decision
- (145 pounds) Zygimantas Ramaska (9-2-0) vs. Nathan Fletcher (8-1-0): Fletcher by submission R1
- (W 125 lbs.) Wang Cong (5-0-0) vs. Victoria Leonardo (9-6-0): Cong by decision
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