Caio Borralho is locked in a four-man race to determine UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev’s next challenger. Borralho, who headlines UFC Fight Night in Paris against Nassourdine Imavov, says he is best equipped to beat the champ.
Borralho previously spent a month training with Chimaev. Borralho said experience gives him a unique understanding of the grappling system that Chimaev used to dominate Dricus du Plessis. Furthermore, Borralho expects his well-roundedness to flummox and fatigue the champ.
“I can threaten him with my ground game, especially on the bottom,” Borralho told CBS Sports. “He might take me down in our fight; I accept that. It’s more about how I can frustrate him. I can deny his steps and show my versatility. When it comes to striking, my distance control and feints will make him shoot at the wrong time.”
Borralho heads into enemy territory Saturday against the UFC’s No. 1-ranked middleweight Imavov. Reinier de Ridder (No. 4) and Anthony Hernandez (No. 6) headline UFC Fight Night next month in Vancouver. One of these four men is widely expected to challenge Chimaev. Borralho likely curried favor with the UFC by weighing in as the backup fighter for UFC 319’s main event, three weeks before the Imavov fight. But he doesn’t think that act or Imavov’s No. 1 ranking guarantees him priority over De Ridder or Hernandez. To be undeniable, Borralho must show out in front of a rabid Paris crowd.
“I need to dominate him. Whether it’s a knockout, submission, or decision, it needs to be a good fight,” Borralho said. “If that happens, I’m the next one. If the fight isn’t boring, I’m the next one. … I plan to finish him in the fourth round.”
Borralho also assessed which of his contemporaries could give Chimaev a tough fight. Borralho questioned De Ridder and Imavov’s defensive vulnerabilities against the champ, but saw potential in “Fluffy” Hernandez.
“I think the guys who can do well are ‘Fluffy’ and me,” Borralho said. “The only thing about ‘Fluffy’ is I don’t know how good his jiu-jitsu is from the bottom. His top position game is dominant. His cardio is very dominant. That’s a big threat to Khamzat. If he gets Khamzat frustrated and tired, he’ll do very good. But I don’t know how [Hernandez] will behave once he’s taken down.”
