What’s next for Caio Borralho and Jared Cannonier after UFC Vegas 96?

The UFC returned to the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday for UFC Vegas 96 which saw a middleweight bout headline the card.

In the main event, Caio Borralho was getting the biggest fight of his career and his first main event as he took on Jared Cannonier. Borralho entered the bout coming off a KO win over Paul Craig and was 6-0 in the UFC. Cannonier, meanwhile, was coming off a controversial stoppage loss to Nassourdine Imavov back in June.

Ultimately, it was Borralho who picked up the decision win against Cannonier in an exciting bout. Following UFC Vegas 96, here is what I think should be next for fighters involved in the main event.

Caio Borralho

Caio Borralho cemented himself as a legit contender with his five-round decision win over Jared Cannonier. It was a step up in competition, but the Brazilian proved himself to be the real deal, as he even dropped the veteran in the fifth round and came close to finishing him.

Following the win at UFC Vegas 96, Borralho will find himself as a top-five middleweight, but the top of the division is all booked up. Instead, if Borralho wants to remain active he likely will need to fight someone behind him and a bout against Marvin Vettori makes sense to be a Fight Night main event later this year or early 2025.

Jared Cannonier

Jared Cannonier’s time as a middleweight title contender is over after his UFC Vegas 96 loss to Caio Borralho. However, he still is a good test for any young prospect or a fun fight to serve as a Fight Night main event.

A logical next bout after UFC Vegas 96 is to take on Paulo Costa which is a fight that has been rumored before. Costa vs. Cannonier is a perfect Fight Night main event with the winner getting back on track and remaining a contender while the loser will become a gatekeeper at middleweight.