Caio Borralho Gives UFC Paris Injury Update, Reveals Return Timeline After Imavov Loss

Caio Borralho is looking ahead following a tough night in Paris. UFC Fight Night 258 did not go as planned for the Brazilian middleweight, who lost to Nassourdine Imavov, ending a long winning streak. But rather than dwell on the defeat, ‘The Natural’ has been focusing on recovery and is already plotting his return, as he just broke his silence to let his fans know he’s far from finished.

The fight itself was a challenge Borralho couldn’t quite overcome. Nassourdine Imavov took control early, delivering precise strikes and keeping Caio Borralho on the defense. By the final bell, the judges had given Imavov a clear unanimous decision, and the Brazilian’s ambitions of an instant shot at Khamzat Chimaev‘s middleweight title had to be put on hold.

It was a reminder that even the most consistent fighters can face nights where nothing clicks. In an Instagram update, Borralho shared the first glimpse of what the aftermath looked like. “Yes, guys, I took a little bit more, but, yeah, some scratches and all,” he said. ‘The Natural’ made sure to acknowledge his opponent and his fans, calling Imavov “a better man” while thanking fans for “rooting and sending good energy and good vibes all the time.”

However, the most exciting part was when he promised his supporters that he would be returning much stronger and better. “I’ll be back stronger. I’ll learn from it… now I’m just going to get back better,” Borralho said. Looking forward to later this year, he hinted at a possible return in November or December and considered how the loss may shake up the division.

“I think right now that I lost, more people will want to fight me. And, yeah, I’ll see you soon… this is what I want; come back to the end of the year.” Even in the post-event press conference, Caio Borralho didn’t shy away from admitting that he felt off during the fight. “I couldn’t attack that much. I just think that I need to find my adrenaline back… I was with no adrenaline or nothing. I couldn’t pick it up into the fight.”

Well, seeing how one-sided the fight was, many would agree that something was surely missing in ‘The Natural’ in Paris. In fact, it was even visible to other UFC fighters, who also didn’t mince words to express their disappointment in the Brazilian. One of them was none other than Sean Strickland.

‘Tarzan’ goes off on Caio Borralho for a lackluster showing

Following Borralho’s less-than-stellar showing in Paris, Sean Strickland was blunt about why the Brazilian struggled against Nassourdine Imavov. Strickland, who recently trained with Borralho, believes he was not at his best because he was also preparing as a backup for the UFC 319 main event between Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus Du Plessis, cutting weight for a bout that never happened.

‘Tarzan’ said that the double weight cut deprived ‘The Natural’ of crucial training time for his fight with Imavov. “Caio is my buddy, but he’s an idiot,” he wrote on Twitter. “He trained with us and was useless. Me: What’s wrong with you? Caio: I’m cutting; I’m an alternate. So you’re giving up four weeks of your camp, cutting weight twice while having a fight coming up? Whoever told you to do that, please hit him.”

The former champion emphasized that Borralho’s performance was directly affected by his lack of training and extreme weight cut. “That fight wasn’t him. It was missing four weeks of training, cutting weight twice,” Strickland explained. He went on to add, “What do you think happens when you kill your body so much in such a short period of time? Exactly that.” Despite Borralho’s 7-0 UFC record and title aspirations, the bout with Nassourdine Imavov proved how much the pre-fight circumstances had taken a toll.