UFC Paris Payout: Dana White Nearly Spends $1M on Nassourdine Imavov & Caio Borralho

Returning to Paris for its fourth outing, the UFC has already set the Accor Arena ablaze in 2025. After a prelims card stacked with knockouts, all attention now shifts to the main card, headlined by a potential middleweight title eliminator between Caio Borralho and hometown favorite Nassourdine Imavov. While Borralho has long pursued this showdown, Imavov comes in riding the wave of his stunning knockout over Israel Adesanya in Saudi Arabia.

This isn’t just a victory for Dana White & Co.—it’s a win for fight fans hungry for high-stakes action, and UFC Paris has delivered in spectacular fashion. From the very first bout, the arena buzzed with energy, as back-to-back highlight-reel finishes kept fans on the edge of their seats. Beyond the Octagon, the stakes are monumental, with future title shots hanging in the balance.

For now, though, the spotlight is on the payday—how much the two middleweight contenders will walk away with. Born in Dagestan and raised in France, 30-year-old Nassourdine Imavov enters UFC Paris on a four-fight winning streak, carrying just two losses on his record. Over the years, Nassourdine Imavov’s career has already earned him significant paydays—$256,000 for his win over Roman Dolidze, $300,000 against Jared Cannonier, and between $200,000 and $400,000 for his victory over Israel Adesanya. Now, headlining in his hometown, he’s expected to pocket around $500,000.

By contrast, Caio Borralho has remained unbeaten since his UFC debut, racking up notable wins over top-tier opponents like Paul Craig and Jared Cannonier last August. Now on his second UFC contract, he reportedly earns between $100,000 and $150,000 per fight, with win bonuses boosting his total. The Brazilian, headlining UFC Paris, was set to earn a career-high payday of $250,000–$350,000.

Yet it was Nassourdine Imavov who stole the spotlight. Stepping in for a potential title shot, Imavov delivered a decisive victory in the UFC Paris main event, solidifying his claim for a direct shot at the middleweight championship.

Nassourdine Imavov pushes for title shot after UFC Paris win

The UFC middleweight division is in the midst of a major shake-up. Last month, Khamzat Chimaev emerged as the new kingpin, using his wrestling-heavy style to dominate his South African opponent for over 21 minutes. However, even with the belt around his waist, Chimaev’s reign is far from guaranteed. Now, the real challenge is looming with today’s headline clash against Nassourdine Imavov, who earlier this year delivered a stunning knockout over former champion Israel Adesanya.

Meanwhile, UFC President Dana White has a different plan. He wants the winner of the UFC Paris main event to face the victor of October’s UFC Vancouver headliner between Reinier de Ridder and Anthony Hernandez. But Imavov isn’t buying it—he’s staking his claim for a direct shot at the middleweight crown. “I know I deserve the title shot,” Imavov told UFC.com. “The thing is, chronology matters. Khamzat beat Robert Whittaker before I beat Adesanya, so he was supposed to be next in line. The UFC knows I don’t want to wait, so they offered me Caio. Therefore, the right time to face Caio was Paris in September, so here we go.”

Now the question is: does Imavov have enough to bypass the next contender? Should he earn a direct shot at the belt, or test himself one last time against the winner of UFC Vancouver? Share your thoughts below.