SÃO PAULO — Caio Borralho is determined to secure his chance at the UFC middleweight championship by facing Nassourdine Imavov in the octagon.
The “Fighting Nerd,” as he`s known, spoke with MMA Fighting in São Paulo during a chess match, stating he is awaiting Imavov`s agreement for their next fight. Borralho, who embraces his “nerd” side and has played nearly 1,500 online chess games since the COVID-19 pandemic, is on a seven-fight winning streak in the UFC. His most recent victory was a main event win over Jared Cannonier.
“Imavov is next,” Borralho asserted. “If he agrees, right? But he doesn`t have much choice. I believe this is the most logical fight, the fight that needs to happen. The winner will contend for the belt. It makes perfect sense for the division.”
He reiterated, “It’s the fight that makes the most sense. I don’t believe he has much of a choice. The UFC will likely push for it. If he declines, that`s fine, I`m next in line after Caio, and I’ll wait until the year`s end for a title shot. However, I anticipate he will accept. He`s on a good run, he’s confident, he believes he can defeat me, and I think this will be a great matchup.”
Imavov defeated Cannonier in June 2024, following wins against Brendan Allen and Israel Adesanya. He is 4-0 with one no-contest in his last five fights since his last loss. Borralho predicts he will finish the French-Dagestani fighter in the second round.
“I foresee it being a two-round fight,” Borralho commented. “I will request it to be five rounds because that`s logical. Two fighters vying for a title shot should fight five rounds beforehand, right? … I believe this is the fight that will pave my way to the belt. It will boost my confidence, like, I defeated the No. 1 contender, a skilled, young fighter on a winning streak, in excellent form. That’s the kind of opponent I need now. That’s what excites me most about this. And also because he’s the No. 1 contender. Defeating him will bring me closer to my dream, the belt.”
The UFC has yet to announce the next opponent for Du Plessis` 185-pound title, but Borralho anticipates no surprises.
“I think we’ll see the Dricus vs. [Khamzat] Chimaev fight next, but that one is a chess match,” Borralho remarked. “I’ve consistently bet against Dricus and been proven wrong. I`m hesitant to bet against Dricus again, but I lean towards Chimaev winning. His grappling dominance, if Dricus doesn’t prepare specifically for that, I think he could lose in the first or mid-second round. However, if he withstands the pressure until midway through the second, I believe he gains an advantage.”
“I think they are both challenging. Their styles are incredibly distinct. Each excels in a specific aspect of fighting. Chimaev is phenomenal in wrestling, that style, that system. And Dricus is the champion who has defeated numerous strong opponents and is very confident. And holding the belt adds significance to the fight. I want to fight whoever wins that match. And I hope they win decisively, eliminating the need for a rematch, so I can be next.”
