Brazilian middleweight Caio Borralho traveled to South Africa seeking out UFC champion Dricus Du Plessis, claiming the champion has been ignoring his callouts. Du Plessis immediately responded on social media, inviting Borralho to his gym for sparring on Friday morning at 9 AM, offering to film the session if desired. The exchange grew tense when Borralho demanded Du Plessis sign a fight contract, to which the champion replied questioning whether Borralho's name is even being discussed for his next title defense. Du Plessis challenged Borralho to prove himself as a man by showing up to spar, dismissing the challenger's behavior as childish.
Brazilian middleweight contender Caio Borralho made a bold move this week, flying to South Africa to confront UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis in person after claiming the champion had been ignoring his repeated callouts.
Borralho, ranked fourth in the middleweight division at 33 years old, carries an 18-2-0 record fighting out of The Fighting Nerds camp. The southpaw stands six-foot-one with a 75-inch reach and has built a reputation as a precise striker, posting a striking accuracy of 56 percent alongside 3.44 significant strikes landed per minute.
Du Plessis, the reigning champion ranked second in the division and seventh pound-for-pound, wasted no time responding on social media. The 32-year-old South African, who holds a 23-3-0 record, invited Borralho directly to his Team CIT gym for a sparring session Friday morning at nine o'clock, offering to have the session filmed. Du Plessis is a relentless offensive presence, averaging 5.18 significant strikes per minute and mixing in 2.22 takedown attempts per fifteen minutes. Standing also at six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, the switch-hitting champion is a physically even matchup with the challenger on paper.
The confrontation sharpened when Borralho pushed Du Plessis to sign a fight contract, prompting the champion to publicly question whether Borralho's name is even under consideration for his next title defense. Du Plessis framed the sparring invitation as a test of character, calling the challenger's behavior childish and suggesting Borralho prove himself by simply showing up.
Why it matters
- Du Plessis has not publicly named his next opponent, leaving the middleweight title picture unsettled
- Borralho at fourth in the division is a legitimate contender, but the champion's comments suggest he may not be the frontrunner
- A physical confrontation or gym session could either accelerate or derail a potential booking depending on how it unfolds
