UFC middleweight contender Nassourdine Imavov addressed Caio Borralho’s recent fight callouts.
Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho are two UFC middleweights looking to gain position in the division’s title picture. After Borralho called out Imavov for a fight, and after Imavov’s alleged decline, tensions are building between the two talented brawlers.
Imavov is flying high after finishing former UFC titleholder Israel Adesanya at UFC Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Unbeaten through his last five fights, Imavov makes a strong case for a middleweight title shot for his next fight, or at the very least a No. 1 contender bout.
A fight between Imavov and Borralho in a title eliminator bout has been discussed in recent weeks, after Borralho called Imavov out on social media. But after Borralho accused Imavov of turning down a fight offer, Borralho wasn’t happy with his middleweight colleague, calling him a ‘p—-‘ on social media for declining.
Nassourdine Imavov responds to Caio Borralho’s fight ducking allegations
Imavov and Borralho, along with UFC star Khamzat Chimaev, are all in the mix for a shot at UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis‘s belt. While a fight between Imavov and Borralho makes sense, Imavov isn’t keen on the idea, as he opened up on during a recent vlog.
In training footage obtained by Championship Rounds, Imavov answered Borralho’s recent callouts.
“He’ll get KO’d, he’ll sleep,” Imavov said of Borralho. “Then they’re gonna say ‘It’s normal, he was ranked Number 1’…that’s their way of managing their careers. Falling forwards, you get it. It’s better to fall forwards than backwards. He comes against the Number 1, gets his a– kicked. Then they’ll say ‘Well that’s normal…he’ll recover and come back stronger’
“So wait your turn. Little by little, you have to be patient in life. People aren’t patient. The key is patience.”
As of this writing, Borralho hasn’t responded to Imavov’s claims. Borralho recently called for an interim title bout with Chimaev after du Plessis reportedly suffered an injury that delays his UFC return timeline.
Caio Borralho, Khamzat Chimaev ‘agreed’ to fight at UFC 317
Borralho and Chimaev allegedly ‘agreed’ to a fight at UFC 317, as the Brazilian relayed recently on social media. The two middleweights are former training partners, and in resurfaced training footage, Chimaev had plenty of shining moments during their exchanges.
Borralho hasn’t fought since defeating former UFC title challenger Jared Cannonier in a UFC Fight Night main event last August. Meanwhile, Chimaev earned top contender status by submitting Robert Whittaker at UFC 308.
Borralho rose on the UFC middleweight map when he knocked out Paul Craig brutally at UFC 301. He’s on a 17-fight unbeaten streak overall.
