Caio Borralho sees Nassourdine Imavov as his ticket to UFC gold.
After calling out Imavov (16-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) on numerous occasions, Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) will finally get his wish when the pair square off in the UFC Paris main event on Sept. 6 from Accor Arena.
“It’s going to happen now. He cannot run anymore,” Borralho told MMA Junkie Radio of Imavov. “I’m going to his hometown to pick him up.”
Borralho hasn’t competed since an impressive win of former title challenger Jared Cannonier last August. He thinks his performance sent a stern warning to the rest of the division.
“I think my last performance with Jared Cannonier, everybody was aware of my level,” Borralho said. “What I did to him, nobody did to him in his career. So I think this fight put me in a position where people were – I’m not saying afraid, but they know the risks to fight me. Maybe that’s why it took so long.”
With Imavov coming off a knockout of ex-UFC champion Israel Adesanya in February, Borralho is certain a win over the Frenchman will earn him a title shot.
“I’m 100 percent sure,” Borralho said. “Everybody knows that that’s the No. 1 contender fight. That’s why I wanted this fight for so long, because he deserves his spot – but I deserve my spot, too. After this fight, I’ll be undeniable to everyone – to the fans, to the UFC, to the fighters, to myself, to the team, to everyone that I’m the next contender.”
