UFC Fight Night: Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho Full Card Picks & Predictions
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The UFC returns to Las Vegas for a Fight Night event at the Apex facility this Saturday (August 24), and MMA KO’s Drew Beaupré is here to provide predictions for the entire 11-fight card.
UFC Fight Night: Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho Event Preview & Breakdown
UFC Fight Night Main Card
Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho
This matchup represents a huge step up for Borralho, who has admittedly looked impressive since joining the UFC off of Dana White’s Contender Series. “The Natural” proved in his last outing against Paul Craig that he’s capable of finishing opponents on the feet as well as on the ground, and although he’ll need to be careful against Cannonier this is Borralho’s chance to prove that he's a legitimate title contender at middleweight.
(Pick: Borralho)
Angela Hill vs. Tabatha Ricci
Seeing Hill score the first submission of her career against Luana Pinheiro was a fantastic moment, and it also gave “Overkill” back-to-back wins for the first time since 2020. Ricci is going to provide a stiff test for the 39-year-old, but I’m picking Hill to out strike “Babyshark” and earn her third-straight victory.
(Pick: Hill)
Ryan Loder vs. Robert Valentin
Finale of #TUF32 is set
— Robert Valentin MMA (@RobzillaTV_MMA) August 18, 2024
lets go to #LasVegas #theultimatefighter #Robzilla #RobertValentin #UFC pic.twitter.com/rI9CbagI3T
It was a bit of a surprise to see the middleweight finals for Season 32 of The Ultimate Fighter get added to this card, especially given that the UFC seemingly hasn’t put too much effort into promoting the fight. Loder obviously has the wrestling pedigree to get the job done here, but Valentin has almost twice as many MMA bouts and is the more well-rounded fighter overall.
(Pick: Valentin)
Michael Morales vs. Neil Magny
Possibly the most intriguing fight on the card outside of the main event, this matchup is a chance for Morales to prove that he belongs among the UFC’s welterweight elite. There’s considerable value on Magny here as a sizeable underdog, but given that he only avoided losing to Mike Malott because of an improbable comeback in his last outing I have to pick Morales to extend his unbeaten record.
(Pick: Morales)
Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Gerald Meerschaert
Shahbazyan is still trying to regain some momentum after his hot start in the UFC was halted by three-straight losses, and this is a difficult matchup against an experienced veteran in Meerschaert. I don’t know that “Golden Boy” should be favored quite as significantly as he currently is, but he should be able to avoid any submission threats and won’t have to be too worried about getting knocked out.
(Pick: Shahbazyan)
Dennis Buzukja Has 'No Emotions' Returning to 'Primal' UFC APEX (Exclusive)
UFC Fight Night Preliminary Card
Dennis Buzukja vs. Francis Marshall
Buzukja was originally scheduled for a tough matchup with Danny Silva, and with Marshall now stepping in on short notice “The Great” has a chance to score back-to-back wins and even out his UFC record.
(Pick: Buzukja)
Viacheslav Borshchev vs. James Llontop
This fight should be an entertaining one for as long as it lasts, and with Borshchev potentially fighting for his spot on the UFC roster I expect that “Slava Claus” will put on a big performance and get back into the win column.
(Pick: Borshchev)
José Medina vs. Zach Reese
ZACH REESE GETS THE FINISH IN THE OPENING SECONDS 😳 #UFCLouisville pic.twitter.com/ZhNzwit0TB
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 9, 2024
There are still plenty of questions around how Reese will fair against UFC-level competition if he goes beyond the first round, but facing a promotional debutant in Medina looks like a recipe for another first-round finish from “Savage”.
(Pick: Reese)
Josiane Nunes vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti
This is an underrated matchup on this card, and even though Nunes has experience competing at featherweight she’s going to be at a significant size disadvantage here when she faces Cavalcanti.
(Pick: Cavalcanti)
Cong Wang vs. Victoria Leonardo
Wang probably shouldn’t be favored quite as heavily as she is considering her limited experience in MMA, but given that Leonardo is 1-3 since joining the UFC and has been stopped in all of her losses this is clearly a matchup where “The Joker” is expected to make a big statement in her promotional debut.
(Pick: Wang)
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MMA KO will be providing comprehensive coverage for UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Borralho all throughout fight week, and be sure to check back on our homepage for a preview of the event and betting guide as well as live results and highlights on fight night.
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