Tag: Caio Borralho

Caio Borralho says he’s ‘in talks’ to fight Israel Adesanya at UFC 312 in February

Caio Borralho could land a breakthrough opportunity against former UFC champion Israel Adesanya early next year.

ABU DHABI – Yes, [autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag] is on Fight Island for UFC 308 fight week. But, no, he’s not there to weigh in as a backup for the co-headliner between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev.

However, Borralho could soon be fighting another former UFC middleweight champion.

On Tuesday, Borralho revealed to MMA Junkie that discussions are ongoing for him to fight [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] this coming February at UFC 312 in Sydney.

“I want to fight Izzy. We are in talks with UFC, but nothing confirmed yet,” Borralho said. “But that’s the fight we want. I think that’s the fight that makes sense. Adesanya already fought all the guys from (the) top five. Just me and (Nassourdine) Imavov he didn’t fight, but Imavov didn’t (have) a good fight last time, so I think they’re thinking about me. Let’s see what the UFC wants.”

The pairing does seem to make sense. Borralho, who’s No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings at 185 pounds, seemingly is in line for a major opportunity after winning a five-round unanimous decision against former title challenger Jared Cannonier. The result, which earned the 2021 Dana White’s Contender Series alum a Fight of the Night bonus this past August, pushed Borralho’s overall winning streak to 16 fights, which includes a 7-0 start in the UFC.

The idea of fighting Adesanya (24-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) excites Borralho more than anything.

“A lot of respect for Izzy, you know. I want to fight the best in the world, and I think he’s a legend, one of the best in the world. I want to test myself against him,” Borralho said.

Adesanya, 35, who ruled the middleweight division for nearly three years, has hit a rough patch in his career, having lost three of his past four bouts. That includes a one-sided decision against Sean Strickland and most recently a submission loss to champion Dricus Du Plessis.

While some might view Adesanya on the decline, Borralho would not take the opportunity for granted.

“He was a great champion. He always has good points,” Borralho said. “I don’t know if he’s vulnerable or anything like that. I don’t have anything with it. If we fought, I’m going with a hundred percent power. I’m going with a hundred percent trying to finish him, and I will do it.”

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Caio Borralho expects Khamzat Chimaev to dominate Robert Whittaker on mat at UFC 308

Caio Borralho knows first hand how good Khamzat Chimaev is.

[autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag] knows first hand how good [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] is.

Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who emerged as a top middleweight contender after defeating Jared Cannonier this past Saturday at UFC on ESPN 62, spent some time training with Chimaev a couple of years ago.

Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) meets [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (26-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC) in a potential No. 1 contender bout Oct. 26 in the UFC 308 co-main event in Abu Dhabi. Borralho thinks Chimaev’s grappling will be too much for the former champion.

“We spent some time in Sweden with him, training with him for his training camp against Nate Diaz, the fight that never happened,” Borralho told Submission Radio. “But I was there training with him everyday, was his main sparring partner for this camp. I think it’s a very tough fight for Whittaker because Khamzat is a very great, great wrestler. And there’s one thing about Khamzat that people don’t realize too much, like they don’t know what kind of level to expect from him. They know by seeing, but when you feel it, I think it’s a little bit different. This kind of level of wrestling, of grappling. The best wrestler in the division I think is Khamzat, and we saw how he dominated Kamaru Usman. That is a great, great wrestler that fought like Demian Maia and didn’t get dominated the way that he was by Khamzat.

“So, definitely a lot of courage of Whittaker, but I think if he did that, he has something in his mind to this fight. I think he thinks that Khamzat is going to get tired or something like that. But let’s see how good are the training partners of Whittaker that are going to mimic Khamzat’s style. I think it all depends on that, that Whittaker is used to this level of grappling when it comes about his training camp. So, he won’t feel that much difference when the real fight starts. So, I think this fight goes to Khamzat. I think Khamzat is going to like dominate him in the wrestling, in the ground. But Whittaker was a champion, though, so cannot doubt our champion. So, definitely is a fun fight. I’m willing to see this fight for sure.”

Borralho lauded Chimaev for his work ethic – something he thinks is to his detriment at times.

“I didn’t see any other guy in my life that trains as much as he trains, maybe that’s why sometimes he kills his body and doesn’t make it to the fights,” Borralho said. “But, definitely a guy that (out)-trains everyone in the room. There was one time that we did five-round sparring. After his sparring was done he did like a three or four round pads, and then after that he did like a 30-minute round. And I was like, what the f*ck is this guy doing?

“Like why he needs that sh*t? I think he needs that. He was used to it. That’s the only way that he knows how to train properly, to be confident or something like that. So, definitely a guy that trains a lot. He’s very intense on sparring and all the sessions and all this stuff. He was very hard to spar with, but definitely a moment in my career that I developed a lot. I learned a lot from him, from his team.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

UFC’s Caio Borralho unsure if Israel Adesanya ‘still has it,’ guarantees finish

Caio Borralho accuses Israel Adesanya of quitting against Dricus Du Plessis before he even submitted.

[autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag] didn’t just see someone who submitted in the UFC 305 main event. He saw a quitter.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] was gaining momentum in Round 4 of his title fight vs. middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 before Du Plessis was able to hurt him and submit him to retain his belt. Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) says Adesanya (24-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) was starting to fade before the finish ultimately happened.

“There was a moment that he gave up of the fight, and actually it was like a minute before he actually got finished,” Borralho told Submission Radio. “I think he got tired, and I think he lost the focus, and he was starting to do things that he doesn’t usually do. He was starting to trade punches like crazy. He was putting a lot of power on the punches, trying to just knock out, just to get out of there. I thought that he was not comfortable there anymore, as the moment that he got tired in the fight, and DDP did an amazing job.

“So, I don’t know if Adesanya still has it – the same focus, the same thing because if you see all the fights of him when he gets tired, he even changed a little bit. His face, you know, his expression, just to tell himself that he’s still there, that he gets more focused, that even when he’s tired. But this time, he looked a little bit more scared in his expression, on his face, and he gave up on the fight like a minute before the fight ended. If you see, he gave us some signs that he didn’t want to be there anymore.”

Borralho inserted himself in the title picture when he defeated former title challenger Jared Cannonier at UFC on ESPN 62 this past Saturday. He thinks a fight vs. Adesanya makes perfect sense for him.

“I’m a guy that puts a lot of pressure when it comes about fighting,” Borralho said. “You guys see how I made Jared – I think Jared is the most powerful guy in the division. The heavy hitter of the division I think is Jared Cannonier in the top 10. None of these other guys hit as hard as him. So, if I made him move backwards, I would definitely make anyone move backwards, you know? And I’m going to pressure a lot Adesanya in this fight, make him move backwards.

“He likes to move backwards, actually, but I might be the only guy that uses feints, that we’re going to kick him the same way that he’s going to kick me, and I have the advantage on wrestling and grappling, too. So, I think he’ll be always in doubt if I’m going to put him down or if I’m going to just trade punches with him. I’m going to put pressure and maybe get a good knockout or a good takedown, and definitely going to finish him. With all the respect always, but that’s the way I see this fight going.”

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USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Aug. 27: Caio Borralho makes major move at middleweight

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC on ESPN 62, where Caio Borralho got a massive middleweight win.

Following UFC on ESPN 62 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas this past Saturday, the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings required updating.

That’s primarily because of the main event result, where middleweight [autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) raised his stock more so than anyone else on the card. The Brazilian further added to his undefeated octagon record with a unanimous decision win over former title challenger and perennial contender Jared Cannonier in the Fight of the Night.

Previously slotted at the No. 11 spoke, Borralho’s performance moves him all the way to the cusp of the top-five in the No. 6 spot at 185 pounds.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.

Caio Borralho picks Sean Strickland to beat Dricus Du Plessis in rematch – ‘maybe’

Caio Borralho acknowledges that he’s been doubting UFC champ Dricus Du Plessis for too long.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag] is done predicting UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag]’ fights.

Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) wonders how Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) continues to prevail, previously saying “it’s crazy how bad he is.” Du Plessis recently submitted Israel Adesanya to retain his title at UFC 305.

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) is touted to potentially be Du Plessis’ next title challenger, and if the pair run things back, Borralho is picking Strickland to win.

Or is he?

“I got Strickland winning this fight, maybe, because I think Strickland won the last one, but maybe he left a little bit inside the octagon that he could do a little bit more,” Borralho told reporters, including MMA Junkie, after UFC on ESPN 62. “But MMA is crazy. I always bet against Dricus, and he always wins, so I’m not betting on the next one. Let those guys kill themselves and I’m the next one.”

Borralho emerged as a top middleweight contender after outslugging former title challenger Jared Cannonier in Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 62 main event at the UFC Apex.

He thinks he’s earned a title shot but is willing to take on any top-ranked middleweight to cement himself as No. 1 contender.

“I want a title shot, that’s for sure, but I’m a company man,” Borralho said. “Whoever Hunter (Campbell) and Dana (White) send me to fight. If they’re people above me or something like that, like the fight that I deserve, the fight that’s going to put me even more close to the belt, I’m going to take it, because I’m the company man.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.

Video: Does Caio Borralho have a championship ceiling after UFC on ESPN 62 main event win?

Caio Borralho claims he’s ready for a UFC title shot after beating Jared Cannonier, but is he good enough to actually win the belt?

[autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag] achieved a breakthrough moment in his career Saturday when he put on a shining performance against Jared Cannonier in the UFC on ESPN 62 main event.

Borralho (17-1 MMA, -0 UFC) has now opened his octagon tenure with seven consecutive victories, but none have been bigger than his unanimous decision triumph over Cannonier (17-8 MMA, 10-8 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas in what was deemed the Fight of the Night.

After the win, Borralho rightfully declared himself as a contender on the rise and thinks he could be fighting for the belt in short order, if not next against the winner of the expected 185-pound title bout between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland.

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Does Brazil’s Borralho have what it takes to not only fight for the belt, but win it?

The was a topic of discussion on the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” where panelists Matt Wells, Mike Bohn and Nolan King joined host “Gorgeous” George Garcia to debate Borralho’s place in the middleweight title picture after besting Cannonier over five rounds.

Check out the video segment above, or view the complete Aug. 26 episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below.

https://www.youtube.com/live/qNIbTNfY2Rk

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Tom Aspinall turns up on Jon Jones, Dana White scolds Merab

UFC on ESPN 62 results, Tom Aspinall’s full court press on Jon Jones, Dana White trashing Merab Dvalishvili and more are topics on this week’s “Spinning Back Clique.”

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Matthew Wells, Mike Bohn and Nolan King joined host “Gorgeous” George Garcia to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • UFC on ESPN 62 went down Saturday in Las Vegas and saw [autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag] get his breakthrough win at middleweight against Jared Cannonier in the main event. Is Borralho poised to be a title contender? The panel will speculate and discuss the other notable results from the final UFC event of August.
  • [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] has seemingly had enough of being jerked around in the heavyweight division, and he’s gone all-out in pursuit of a title unification bout with [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] in the form of videos, social media posts and even stirring injury rumors about Stipe Miocic. But will any of it matter?
  • The promotion is underway for [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s return to MMA competition against [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] at PFL’s pay-per-view event on Oct. 19. The pair faced off for the first time and had a press conference where a comment by Ferreira that was seemingly misinterpreted became a hot topic of discussion.
  • UFC champions Ilia Topuria and Belal Muhammad, as well as former two-division titleholder Henry Cejudo, gave notable interviews to MMA Junkie over the past week where they gave insight into their respective future plans.
  • Noche UFC is drawing near: [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] was not happy with [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] posting footage of a cut he suffered in training less than three weeks from the event, and Sean O’Malley has voiced some frustration over the way in which the card is being promoted.

Caio Borralho: UFC on ESPN 62 win over Jared Cannonier ‘takes me to one of the best in the world’

Caio Borralho knows he’s capable of being “a big superstar” in the UFC, and he’d love to talk to Dana White about making that happen.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag] knows he’s capable of being “a big superstar” in the UFC, and he’d love to talk to Dana White about making that happen.

“I just want a meeting with Dana. I think I deserve a meeting with Dana, you know?” Borralho told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “I always see all those guys go inside his room, have a meeting with him, Hunter (Campbell), all those guys, you know? I want to be one of those guys.”

Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) just might be one of those guys coming out of UFC on ESPN 62, where he dug deep to score the biggest win of his career by out-slugging former title challenger Jared Cannonier in is first main event Saturday night at the UFC Apex.

“I’m very thankful to be in there 25 minutes with one of the best in the world,” Borralho said. “Tell me one guy that did that to Jared. There’s nobody that did that to Jared the way I did it. The durability that I had over the shots that I took, and I kept standing. I’m very proud of my performance.”

As he should be.

Borralho, the face of the emerging Fighting Nerds team in Sao Paulo, Brazil, said his studying of Cannonier paid off in a big way.

“I saw it all coming. Me and my team, we anticipated everything that he ever done,” Borralho said. “That’s why we are The Fighting Nerds. We calculate, we study, and when the test comes we take A+.”

Borralho’s toughness and fight IQ were on display over the course of 25 minutes. He almost got the finish in Round 5 after he dropped Cannonier with a stiff straight left hand. But even without it, he believes he made the statement he was looking to make.

“I think it takes me to one of the best in the world,” Borralho said. “I’m top five right now – at least, I deserve a top-five spot on Tuesday. I think I proved myself as one of the best in the division, that I can strike and not only grapple.”

He continued, “The mantra of this training camp was to show the new champ arrived, and I think I showed that a little bit. If I’m not the next one (to get a title shot), at least when there’s a conversation about who’s the next one, my name is gonna be around there. I know that.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.

UFC on ESPN 62 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $28 million

The UFC has now paid athletes more than $28 million in Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay after UFC on ESPN 62.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 62 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $166,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 62 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 62 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Tabatha Ricci[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Ryan Loder[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Robert Valentin[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Mairon Santos[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kaan Ofli[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Francis Marshall[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Dennis Buzukja[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Zach Reese[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jose Medina[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Viacheslav Borshchev[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]James Llontop[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jacqueline Cavalcanti[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Josiane Nunes[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Wang Cong[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Victoria Leonardo[/autotag]: $4,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,620; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $32,000 while title challengers get $42,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-62 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,324,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $28,061,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.

UFC on ESPN 62 bonuses: Gerald Meerschaert’s come-from-behind, record-breaking finish earns him $50K

To go with his name in the UFC record book, Gerald Meerschaert also fattened his wallet at UFC on ESPN 62.

The UFC handed out four bonuses after Saturday’s card, including one for a submission that made some history.

After UFC on ESPN 62, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out the winners below.

***

Fight of the Night: Caio Borralho vs Jared Cannonier

[autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag] and [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] put on one of the most entertaining fights of the year in the night’s headliner. Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) had to dig deep and nearly finished Cannonier  (17-8 MMA, 10-8 UFC) in the fifth round but ultimately won a unanimous decision that should place him right in the middle of title contention at middleweight.

Performance of the Night: Michael Morales

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 24: Michael Morales of Ecuador battles Neil Magny in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on August 24, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

[autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag] (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) passed the biggest test of his career with flying colors as he scored a ground-and-pound TKO win over Neil Magny late in the first round to remain undefeated.

Performance of the Night: Gerald Meerschaert

Not only did [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] (37-17 MMA, 12-9 UFC) stage a Comeback of the Year candidate, he made history when rallied to submit Edmen Shahbazyan. With the result, Meerschaert passed former champion and Hall of Famer Anderson Silva for the most finishes (12) in UFC middleweight history.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.