Middleweight Contenders Collide: Cannonier faces Borralho at UFC Apex

Middleweight Contenders Collide: Cannonier faces Borralho at UFC Apex

Photo courtesy of UFC

Las Vegas – UFC® returns to the UFC APEX with a high stakes middleweight matchup featuring No. 5 ranked contender Jared Cannonier taking on No. 12Caio Borralho. In addition, highly skilled welterweights No. 12 Neil Magny and Michael Morales lock horns. 

UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: CANNONIER vs. BORRALHOtakes place Saturday, August 24 in Las Vegas and will be available on ESPN+ (English and Spanish), ESPN, and ESPN Deportes. The prelims will air exclusively on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET, followed by the main card airing on ESPN and ESPN+ 7 p.m. PT / 10p.m. ET. 

UFC APEX VIP Experience packages are available via On Location, UFC’s Official VIP Experience Provider. Enjoy exclusive access with an official ticket package that includes premium seating, all-inclusive hospitality, in-seat beverage service, meet-and-greets with UFC octagon girls and more. Visit UFCVIP.com for more information.

Fight veteran Cannonier (17-7, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) steps into his seventh main event spot. In his near decade-long UFC career, the former title challenger has secured wins against elite competition such as Sean Strickland, Anderson Silva and Kelvin Gastelum. Cannonier now sets his sights on rising contender Borralho with intentions of derailing the prospect’s hype train.

Brazil’s Borralho (16-1 1NC, fighting out of São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil) looks to make the most of his first UFC main event. Still unbeaten inside the Octagon, the Dana White’s Contender Series signee has quickly risen through the 185-pound rankings by delivering dominant wins against the likes of Paul Craig, Michal Oleksiejczuk, and Abus Magomedov. The Brazilian prospect now aims to break into the division’s Top 10 by finishing Cannonier in emphatic fashion. 

Fan favorite Magny (29-12, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) returns to action looking to secure back-to-back wins in the 2024 season. A decorated competitor who currently holds the UFC record for most wins in welterweight history (22), the Brooklyn-born mixed martial artist has most recently added names such as Mike Malott, Phil Rowe, and Daneil Rodriguez to his resume. Magny intends to prove that he still has plenty in the tank by handing Morales his first loss.

Undefeated prospect Morales (16-0, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico) takes on the biggest challenge of his young career thus far. The 25-year-old has wowed fans with his performances against Trevin Giles, Max Griffin, and Jake Matthews. He now sets forth to usher in the next generation by delivering a highlight finish against Magny.

Additional bouts on the card include:

  • A pivotal matchup is scheduled for the strawweight division as No. 9 ranked contenderAngela Hill (17-13, fighting out of San Diego, Calif. by way of Clinton, Maryland) and No. 11 Tabatha Ricci (10-2, fighting out of Ventura, Calif. by way of Birigui, São Paulo, Brazil) go to battle
  • A middleweight scrap sees Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Edmen Shahbazyan (13-4, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) go toe-to-toe with Gerald Meerschaert(36-17, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.)
  • Dana White’s Contender Series lightweight signees Viacheslav Borschev (7-4-1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) meets James Llontop(14-3, fighting out of Lima, Peru) 
  •  Jacqueline Cavalcanti (6-1, fighting out of Almada, Portugal) clashes with Josiane Nunes(10-2, fighting out of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil) at bantamweight
  • Middleweights Zachary Reese (7-1, fighting out of Houston, Texas by way of Shiner, Texas) and Jose Medina (11-3, fighting out of Santa Cruz, Bolivia) go to battle
  • A flyweight tilt pits undefeated Road to UFC alumna Wang Cong (5-0, fighting out of Shanghai, China) against Dana White’s Contender Series signee Victoria Leonardo(9-6, fighting out of Shreveport, Louis.)
  • Electric featherweights Danny Silva (9-1, fighting out of Santa Ana, Calif.) and Dennis Buzukja (12-4, fighting out of Staten Island, N.Y.) look to steal the show