UFC Vegas 96 flew under the radar, but it ended up being a fun night of fights. Here are five things we learned at the event. (Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports)
UFC Vegas 96: Five Things We Learned
UFC Vegas 96 was an entertaining night of fights from the UFC Apex. The event had a great main event, several great performances, and more. That gives us a lot of options as we highlight the lessons from the event. Here are the five biggest things we learned at an action-packed UFC Vegas 96.
Caio Borralho has a breakthrough performance
In the UFC Vegas 96 main event, Caio Borralho took a massive step up in competition to fight Jared Cannonier. Borralho earned a decision win and proved that he has graduated from prospect status and should be considered a contender.
Borralho’s ability to strike with Cannonier throughout five rounds was impressive. Cannonier is a great striker who uses his power, footwork, and feints to back his opponents up. In this fight, Borralho managed to back Cannonier up to the fence and land strikes. That’s not to say he fought perfectly, but it was a great showing from someone considered a grappler.
This fight showed a lot of strengths for Borralho. It should be noted that his physicality is up to par. In the middleweight division, attributes like size, strength, and durability are crucial. In this matchup, Borralho looked massive in comparison to another physically imposing welterweight in Cannonier.
Lastly, Borralho also showed that he can fight five rounds at a high pace. This was not a massive concern because he had never shown cardio flaws. Still, it is nice to see his cardio proven in a five-round fight.
Jared Cannonier’s durability is fading
On the opposite side of the UFC Vegas 96 main event, there are concerns about the future of Cannonier. This largely revolves around his durability.
The main event was not a one-sided beatdown. Cannonier had strong moments. This led to winning the second round. In addition, rounds one and four were very. Personally, I had the fight tied at two rounds apiece heading into the fifth round.
The issue for Cannonier is that his durability greatly let him down. In the third round, he was having a lot of success until Borralho landed a left hand that wobbled him. This swung the round for Borralho. The shot that hurt in the fifth round is less about Cannonier’s durability and more about Borralho landing a great punch. It still raises concern as it adds to the number of times that Cannonier has been seriously hurt in recent fights.
At 40 years old, it is practically impossible for Cannonier to become more durable. Rather, we will likely see a further decline. The amount of damage that he has taken in previous fights makes it more likely that decline will happen quickly. This creates serious concern in a division filled with power punchers.
Ryan Loder shows off his All-American wrestling
UFC Vegas 96 featured two finales from The Ultimate Fighter Season 32 . In the middleweight finale, Ryan Loder showed off his All-American wrestling background against Robert Valentin. This led to Loder finishing the fight with ground and pound in the second round.
Loder got this fight to the ground quickly in both rounds. In the first round, he was put in bad positions because of Valentin’s BJJ. At one point, Valentin took the back and put Loder in danger. Still, he survived and regained the top position. In the second round, he landed the takedown, got to the crucifix position, and landed elbows until the fight was stopped.
It is hard to say how much success Loder will have in the UFC. At a minimum, he should be able to find success against fighters with underdeveloped ground games. Unfortunately, he is 33-years-old which does cap his potential.
Mairon Santos has finishing power
In The Ultimate Fighter Season 32 featherweight finale, Mairon Santos landed a highlight reel knockout against Kaan Ofli.
This was an outstanding performance from Santos. Ofli was a serious test despite being another TUF contestant. If the UFC were to sign Ofli, he would beat a lot of featherweights. On top of that, Ofli was a tough stylistic matchup for Santos. In theory, Ofli’s grappling was going to be a tough test.
Santos was doing a good job controlling distance while landing efficiently. This made it difficult for Ofli to find entries for takedowns. That led to striking more exchanges. Eventually, Santos caught Ofli with a counter hook that put him out cold.
At 24, there are reasons for excitement around Santos. This knockout adds to that. Previously, he had a lot of dominant performances but he was unable to find the finish. Thankfully, it’s evident he has the power required to hurt opponents.
At UFC Vegas 96, Michael Morales got a stoppage win against Neil Magny to earn a spot in the welterweight rankings.
This fight was a typical Magny fight for several minutes. Magny attempted to control Morales up against the fence. That was likely a smart plan because Morales was having success in the minimal striking exchanges. Eventually, Morales landed a spinning elbow as he exited the clinch and hurt Magny. That allowed him to get the top position and land strikes until the fight was called off.
Morales passed the Magny test. That does not mean he will be a champion, but it is an important step for a highly-touted prospect .
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