What Should Be Next for Caio Borralho After UFC Paris?

What Should Be Next for Caio Borralho After UFC Paris?7 days ago

At UFC Fight Night 258 in Paris, Caio Borralho suffered the first loss of his UFC career when he dropped a unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) to Nassourdine Imavov. Borralho showed flashes of his usual grappling pressure and counterstriking but struggled to overcome Imavov’s precision, forward pressure, and takedown defense. Despite the setback, Borralho remains one of the most promising contenders in the UFC middleweight division with a 17–2 (1 NC) record and victories over Jared Cannonier, Paul Craig, and Abusupiyan Magomedov.

The next logical step for Borralho is a matchup with former champion Robert Whittaker. Whittaker brings championship experience, elite striking, and strong defensive wrestling that would test Borralho’s all-around game. Both men are coming off losses to top opponents, making this the perfect rebound fight to determine who can climb back into title contention.

Stylistically, this matchup offers plenty of intrigue. Borralho’s ability to mix wrestling entries with sharp counters could challenge Whittaker’s movement and striking volume, while Whittaker’s speed, angles, and proven five-round cardio could keep Borralho at range. This fight would provide clarity in the middleweight top ten and showcase two fighters with complementary skill sets at a pivotal point in their careers.

Last Five Fights – Caio Borralho:

1. Loss to Nassourdine Imavov – Decision (unanimous), UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs. Borralho (September 6, 2025)
2. Win over Jared Cannonier – Decision (unanimous), UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Borralho (August 24, 2024)
3. Win over Paul Craig – KO (punches), UFC 301 (May 4, 2024)
4. Win over Abusupiyan Magomedov – Decision (unanimous), UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Lewis (November 4, 2023)
5. Win over Michał Oleksiejczuk – Submission (rear-naked choke), UFC on ESPN: Song vs. Simón (April 29, 2023)

Last Five Fights – Robert Whittaker:

1. Loss to Reinier de Ridder – Decision (split), UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. de Ridder (July 26, 2025)
2. Loss to Khamzat Chimaev – Submission (face crank), UFC 308 (October 26, 2024)
3. Win over Ikram Aliskerov – KO (punches), UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov (June 22, 2024)
4. Win over Paulo Costa – Decision (unanimous), UFC 298 (February 17, 2024)
5. Loss to Dricus du Plessis – TKO (punches), UFC 290 (July 8, 2023)