UFC middleweight No. 6 contender Caio Borralho is pushing hard to break into the top five—a move that would put him within striking distance of a title shot. His next step could come against top-ranked contender Nassourdine Imavov, setting the stage for a high-stakes clash. Tensions have already been simmering between the two rising stars of the division, both determined to stake their claim as future title challengers.

Now, they appear on a collision course, with plans to settle their growing rivalry in the main event of UFC’s annual Paris card on September 6, inside the Accor Arena. Although fans continue to anticipate ‘The Natural’s long-discussed showdown with UFC legend Israel Adesanya, the Brazilian seems focused on a different mission—ending his feud with the French-Dagestani standout, Nassourdine Imavov. Caio Borralho recently gave an update on the situation and didn’t pull punches, taking aim at what he described as the “fake” French fighter.

Caio Borralho eyes Israel Adesanya fight but keeps the heat on Nassourdine Imavov

At the start of 2025, Nassourdine Imavov was still not in the top five middleweights in the UFC. In February, everything changed as he knocked out former champion Israel Adesanya in a surprise knockout at UFC Saudi Arabia. The decisive finish put “The Sniper” at the top of the standings immediately away, which changed the title picture in a dramatic way. It is intriguing that Caio Borralho was the first person to be thought of as a possible opponent for Adesanya.

However, Nassourdine Imavov’s spectacular performance before Dana White and UFC executives changed plans, and they quickly altered Israel Adesanya’s next fight. Now, as talk of a Borralho–Adesanya matchup resurfaces, Caio Borralho reflected on his past interactions with the former champ during a recent appearance on Submission Radio. Recalling their time together, ‘The Natural’ described the experience as a “good vibe,” and praised Izzy as a “phenomenal athlete.”

Caio Borralho dubbed it a “phenomenal fight” if they ever had to face each other in the future. The Brazilian didn’t hold back when it came to his current opponent, Nassourdine Imavov. He said that Imavov’s style was bad and that the French-Dagestani fighter is “not an entertaining fighter.” Borralho talked about his confidence and his qualifications with conviction, looking ahead to a possible fight between them.

Caio Borralho’s last professional loss came more than a decade ago, and the Brazilian believes he’s more than ready to stake his claim. He even went a step further by questioning Nassourdine Imavov’s French identity, saying,

“To be honest, it’s not his place, you know what I mean? He’s from Dagestan, he’s Russian—he just uses French as a tool, you know what I mean? He doesn’t seem to be very respectful of the French people.”

The French native was born in Dagestan into a Kumyk family and spent his early childhood there. At age nine, his family moved him to Salon-de-Provence, France, where he began boxing. Unlike most of his Dagestani Muslim peers—who traditionally build their foundation on wrestling and grappling—Imavov carved his own path, becoming one of the rare knockout artists to emerge from the region.

Caio Borralho weighs in on Israel Adesanya’s vision for the 185-pound division

Israel Adesanya is about to turn 36, and it looks like his MMA career is on the decline. Many people now think that the former middleweight champion may be past his prime because he has only won one of his previous five fights in the Octagon. This is a tough time for any top fighter to come back from. But Israel Adesanya’s legacy is still strong. Dricus du Plessis once said that he was like the great Anderson Silva, which shows how much Izzy has changed the sport. Still, there are uncertainties about what he will do next.

Following his knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov in February at UFC Saudi Arabia, Israel Adesanya announced he would be stepping away from competition for a while. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, the Nigerian-Kiwi was asked for his take on the current state of the middleweight division. His response was bold, “To be honest, 185 feels boring without me.”

The comment sparked conversation across the MMA world. Israel Adesanya hinted at returning to “make it interesting” again—but Caio Borralho wasn’t letting the statement pass without a response. Featured in an MMA Junkie Instagram post, ‘The Natural’ dropped a respectful yet pointed reply in the comments, “Why boring? I know… just because I don’t have a fight booked.”

There hasn’t been an official fight between Israel Adesanya and Caio Borralho yet, but might a possible fight between the two be a huge hit? And more importantly, can the UFC middleweight division really do well at its best without Izzy? Please leave your comments below.