UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Borralho main card preview & picks

The main card for UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Barralho at the Apex in Las Vegas this Saturday features a top-15 women’s strawweight bout between Angela Hill and Tabatha Ricci, a clash between exciting debutants Ryan Loder and Robert Valentin, and a contract-defining fight between Edmen Shahbazyan and Gerald Meerschaert. Read on for BettingPlanet’s fight previews and top picks.

Jared Cannonier v Caio Borralho

Jared Cannonier vs Caio Borralho

Veteran middleweight Jared Cannonier and up-and-coming prospect Caio Borralho will headline Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas. Read our in-depth Cannonier v Barralho betting preview here.

Angela Hill v Tabatha Ricci

Angela Hill vs Tabatha Ricci

Angela Hill (17-13-0) continues her late-career resurgence and has now won four of her last five appearances. The evergreen 39-year-old is coming off a second-round submission win over Luana Pinheiro that earned a Performance of the Night bonus and broke a long sequence of decision outcomes dating back to 2020.

Tabatha Ricci (10-2-0) has won six of her last seven UFC contests, with the sole loss coming via split decision to Lupita Godinez. The 29-year-old is busy on the feet but has just one knockout on her record, so she will need to outwork and pressure this opponent across the full 15 minutes to earn victory.

Ryan Loder v Robert Valentin

Ryan Loder vs Robert Valentin

Ryan Loder (6-1-0) makes his UFC debut after building a solid record on the provincial circuit. The 33-year-old is a heavy striker who has never been stopped and will be out to make a big impression. His only career loss came via split decision in 2023, but he enters on a two-fight win streak and should be full of confidence.

Robert Valentin (10-3-0) is another UFC newcomer with a winning recent record. The 29-year-old throws long looping strikes but is more comfortable on the mat, with six professional wins coming via submission. His last four wins have all arrived inside the distance, and the Swiss fighter looks ready to step up his game in this well-matched contest.

Kaan Ofli v Mairon Santos Alves

Kaan Ofli vs Mairon Santos Alves

Kaan Ofli (11-2-1) makes his UFC debut after earning his MMA stripes across multiple promotions. The Australian has won his last eight bouts via various methods, and his only losses have come via the scorecards. The 31-year-old fights from a low centre of gravity that allows him to fire hard hooks and body shots, which will need to land against a proven striker.

Mairon Santos Alves (13-1-0) is another debutant with a winning record. The 24-year-old looks like a tough standup fighter who throws dangerous combinations from long and short range. His sole loss occurred when the Brazilian was stopped with elbows in 2022, but he has since bounced back with a comeback win under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner.

Neil Magny v Michael Morales

Neil Magny vs Michael Morales

Neil Magny (29-12-0) is one of the most enduring welterweights on the UFC roster, making his first appearance in 2013 and fighting 32 times since. The 37-year-old is coming off a TKO win over Mike Mallot, but online bookies have him at huge odds in this matchup with a much less experienced athlete. Magney is tall with long limbs and can prove difficult to contain especially in the clinch where he goes to work with knees and elbows that stack up the points.

Michael Morales (16-0-0) brings a flawless unbeaten record into this bout and is tipped to be a future contender at 170 pounds. The 25-year-old has fought four times in the UFC and appears to possess significant potential as a standup striker artist. Some 11 of the Ecuadorian’s wins have come via knockout, and he will need to find clean shots to prevail over a canny veteran with all the tricks.

Edmen Shahbazyan v Gerald Meerschaert

Edmen Shahbazyan vs Gerald Meerschaert

Edmen Shahbazyan (13-4-0) scored a much-needed early knockout win in his most recent UFC appearance. After being touted as a future world-beater, three straight losses starting in 2020 derailed the hype train. The 26-year-old has been carefully working back toward a viable MMA career, and this appears a favourable matchup.

Gerald Meerschaert (36-17-0) is also coming off a timely victory after back-to-back defeats appeared to jeopardise his UFC contract. The 36-year-old veteran boasts an astounding 28 professional wins via submission and would be wise to take that route against a flashy striker with knockout power.

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