UFC Vegas 96: Caio Borralho wants title fight against Dricus Du Plessis after defeating Jared Cannonier – “My time has come”

Caio Borralho challenged reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis again after defeating Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 96.

It was an outstanding victory over Cannonier, as the Brazilian was declared the winner by the judges with scores of 49-45, 49-45 and 48-46.

The exciting start to the fight fascinated and thrilled in equal measure, and it was Borralho who got off to a better start with some well-timed punches.

Cannonier recovered well in the second round, but was hit by a brutal left hand towards the end of the third.

However, the American fought back and Borralho suffered a bad cut above his right eye after being hit by a series of powerful punches.

The fight was evenly matched until the fifth and final round, when Borralho struck with an excellent right hook and left hand combination that sent Cannonier to the mat.

The 31-year-old rounded off the competition with a perfectly timed chokehold, deciding this hard-fought affair.

Borralho is convinced that this victory justifies his move up into the top 5 of the middleweight rankings and is now aiming for a fight against the reigning middleweight king Du Plessis.

“After the second time, he said, 'Get two more wins and then we can talk.' I've already got four more wins, so now is my time.

“He has already beaten everyone and I am the new face of the division and have shown that I am resilient and have what it takes to become a champion.

“I just need a chance to prove it and I hope the UFC gives me that chance; that's my belt.”

Meanwhile, Tabatha Ricci emerged victorious in the co-main event when she defeated Angela Hill by unanimous decision with a score of 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 in her favor.

There were also important victories for Marion Santos and Ryan Loder, who secured their respective tournaments in the 32nd season of The Ultimate Fighter via second-round stoppage victories.

Santos won the featherweight division against Kaan Ofli and Ryan Loder took the middleweight crown against Robert Valentin.

Michael Morales was in no mood to dally after his first-round technical knockout win over Neil Magny, while Gerald Meerschaert edged past Edmen Shahbazyan with a second-round submission.

The Milwaukee fighter now has the most stoppage wins in UFC middleweight history, overtaking Anderson Silva.