Tag Archives: Apex

Caio Borralho Defeats Jared Cannonier to Earn UFC Top-Five Ranking

Posted on by
Reply

Caio Borralho has burst into the Top Five.

While it’s not easy to break into a top-five ranking in the UFC, but the 31-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist has made it happen in a relatively short time and without a blemish.

Caio BorralhoBorralho, a contender out of Sao Paulo, Brazil, recorded the biggest win of his career on Saturday, a unanimous decision over former title challenger Jared Cannonier.

The win improved his record in the UFC to 7-0 and immediately inserted his name into the middleweight title picture.

Cannonier was ranked No. 5 in the division going into the UFC Fight Night main event at the Apex in Las Vegas.

“I’ve been having amazing performances in the UFC for a long time, and it’s never been an easy road,” Borralho said. “All of my opponents were tough, and I think they all brought out the best of me in this cage and made me the athlete that I am. … I am the new face [of the division]. On Tuesday, I want to see my name ranked in the top five.”

All three judges scored the fight for Borralho: 49-45, 49-45 and 48-46. It was a convincing victory for the Brazilian, but it wasn’t an easy one. Cannonier, who turned 40 this year, hurt Borralho multiple times. He shot a stiff right hand through Borralho’s guard in the fourth, opening a cut under his right eye.

Borralho took it all in stride, however, and outlanded Cannonier in total strikes 141-84, according to UFC Stats.

Borralho bothered him with leg kicks in the opening minutes, so much that Cannonier switched his stance as early as the first round. Borralho put an exclamation point on the performance in the fifth, dropping Cannonier with a left hand and nearly finishing him with strikes on the ground.

It was another stellar performance by an athlete out of the Fighting Nerds gym in Sao Paulo, which has been steadily gaining notice over the past year.

Carlos Prates, another one of its students, became the first man to ever knock out Li Jingliang last week at UFC 305.

“We study this game a lot and put all of our soul into this game,” Borralho said. “Everything is on the line for us. … Everybody that sees [the gym’s trademark reading glasses] must be afraid. We are the Fighting Nerds and we’re coming to take over.”

Borralho, who signed with the UFC in 2021 after winning twice on Dana White‘s Contender Series, wasted no time calling for defending champion Dricus Du Plessis.

Amanda Nunes Thrashes Megan Anderson to Retain UFC Women’s Featherweight Title

Posted on by
Reply

Amanda Nunes keeps on dominating…

The 32-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, the most dominant female fighter in mixed martial arts history, absolutely thrashed No. 1 featherweight contender Megan Anderson.

Amanda Nunes

Nunes (21-4) forced Anderson (10-5) to tap to an armbar at 2:03 of the opening round of their featherweight title fight at UFC 259 inside the Apex. In all likelihood, she could’ve finished the fight any way she wanted. She rocked Anderson with a right hand in the opening minute, a shot that had the challenger on skates. Anderson was so hurt, she actually shot a takedown on Nunes, which led to a finish on the ground.

With the victory, Nunes defended her 145-pound title for the second time. She’s also still in control of the 135-pound bantamweight title. She is one of only three champions in UFC history to defend titles in multiple weight classes, and she holds UFC records for the women’s divisions in wins (14), finishes (10) and wins in title fights (9).

“The plan was exactly how I finished the fight,” Nunes said. “I’m here. It’s not my fault [I’m this dominant]. I know there are a lot of girls out there who want this opportunity. Who wants it?”

Anderson was a plus-700 underdog going into the fight — and that might not have been high enough. She did enough to earn a shot at Nunes in the 145-pound weight class, but she looked shell-shocked from the opening bell. Nunes slipped in a fastball overhand right early on, and it was all survival instincts from Anderson from then on. She ate several more right hands, before desperately attempting a takedown.

Nunes, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, easily stuffed the shot and moved to top position. She set up a triangle armbar attempt almost instantly and quickly produced the fourth submission win of her career. She extended her win streak to 12 overall, which is the second longest in the UFC behind only welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

Amanda Nunes

Nunes and her wife, UFC strawweight Nina Ansaroff, brought their infant daughter, Raegan, into the Octagon after the win. Nunes, who was born in Brazil but trains in Florida, had Raegan at her side all fight week.

“I’m more dangerous now with my little girl,” Nunes said. “No one is stopping me.”

The UFC has not indicated any long-term plans for its 145-pound division, but there is no one in the foreseeable future for Nunes to fight at that weight. Her next move will almost assuredly be at bantamweight, where she has held the title since UFC 200 in 2016. She has defeated all of the sport’s biggest names, including Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, Cris Cyborg and Germaine de Randamie.

Ricardo Lamas to Face Ryan Hall in UFC Fight Night Next Month

Posted on by
Reply

Ricardo Lamas headed back to the Octagon…

The featherweight bout between the 38-year-old Mexican and Cuban American mixed martial artist and former UFC title challenger and Ryan Hall has been rebooked for a UFC Fight Night event on August 29, according to ESPN.

Ricardo Lamas

The 145-pound contest was originally scheduled to take place in May in Oklahoma City, but the event was scrapped because of the coronavirus outbreak. 

The UFC has since picked up a consistent schedule, hosting six events in six weeks at its Apex facility in Las Vegas. The promotion is preparing to host four events this month at “Fight Island,” in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

Lamas (19-8) has lost three of his past four contests, but all three of the losses were to highly ranked opposition in Calvin Kattar, Mirsad Bektic and Josh Emmett. He fought Jose Aldo for the UFC championship in 2014, and also has faced the likes of Max Holloway, Chad Mendes and Charles Oliveira over the course of his career.

Hall (8-1), of Falls Church, Virginia, has fought only four times since making his UFC debut in 2015. The submission specialist has had difficulty booking opponents at times, but holds wins against former lightweight champion B.J. Penn and title challenger Gray Maynard. He is 4-0 inside the Octagon.

Cynthia Calvillo to Fight Jessica Eye in UFC Fight Night Bout in June

Posted on by
Reply

Cynthia Calvillo is heading back to the Octagon next month.

The 32-year-old Latina mixed martial artist and fellow UFC women’s flyweight Jessica Eye have agreed to fight on June 13 at UFC Fight Night, according to ESPN.

Cynthia Calvillo

The bout would headline the event, sources said, though a location wasn’t immediately known.

Eye (15-7, 1 NC) is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Viviane Araujo at UFC 245 in December. It was her first fight since she challenged for the flyweight title and suffered a devastating head-kick knockout to champion Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 238 last June.

Eye, who is currently ESPN‘s No. 8-ranked women’s flyweight, has won four of her past five fights.

Calvillo (8-1-1) returns to the Octagon after fighting to a majority draw with Marina Rodriguez in December. That bout was fought at a catchweight after Calvillo missed the contracted strawweight limit.

Next Saturday’s UFC cardis expected to take place at the company’s Apex facility in Las Vegas. The location is subject to change until Wednesday, when the Nevada State Athletic Commission is scheduled to formally vote on reopening the state to combat sports.

NSAC officials indefinitely suspended all combat sports in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.