On Aug. 20, Caio Borralho put the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on notice with a huge win in the main event of Fight Night Las Vegas. Beating Jared Cannonier, who has been a cornerstone of the middleweight division for years, is a big deal. Beating him by unanimous decision is something that could put you in the world title picture.
Michael Bisping spoke with Borrahlo about his future.
“You know who I want next, I’ve been calling you out two times already…so Dricus Du Plessis,” Borralho remarked.
UFC rankings have Borralho as a top-five middleweight per. Making it likely that he could be granted a championship fight versus Du Plessis soon. Only a couple of guys in the top five don’t have plans for their next fight. One of those guys is former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
Defeating Adesanya could earn him a spot in the top three. Back-to-back wins over a former champion and a former title fight challenger would make Borralho’s case for a title fight even stronger. He voiced his interest in a possible matchup against Adesanya in an interview with Submission Radio.
“If you see in the top eight of the division, I think he fought everyone but Imavov and Brendan Allen, and…Allen and Imavov are facing each other…I think the only option that comes to him is myself…I think it will be a fun fight and let’s see, I want to fight him,” said Borralho.
Another possible route for Borralho could be waiting on the outcome of undefeated fighter Khamzat Chimaev versus former champion Robert Whittaker. With this fight being a title eliminator, one can assume the winner will fight for the middleweight championship. Leaving the loser of the fight up without any concrete plans. Whoever loses the fight would be an opportunity for Borralho to build his resume.
When you think of the modern-day middleweight division Whittaker is a household name. Beating a fighter with wins over Yoel Romero (twice) and Paulo Costa could be a big opportunity for Borralho to cement his spot as a title challenger.
A win over Chimaev would be looked at very highly as well. Though he might not have the resume of Whittaker, he has quickly become a star; with seven wins in the UFC, and five of them ending with a finish. Beating guys like Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman showed his potential to be a champion. Beating Chimaev would be great for his resume as well.
Borralho has created a solid body of work in the UFC. Since joining, he has had nine wins without a loss. All of his fights have ended either with a finish or unanimous decision. His win versus Cannonier showed a glimpse of his potential as a fighter. His plans from here will have big implications and with the right win, he could be fighting for a world title soon.
