Caio Borralho traveled to South Africa in an attempt to find Dricus Du Plessis, claiming the UFC middleweight champion has not responded to his callouts. Du Plessis responded immediately on social media, inviting Borralho to his gym for sparring on Friday morning at 9 a.m., offering to film the session if desired. Du Plessis dismissed Borralho's title aspirations, stating that Borralho's name is not being discussed as a potential next opponent. Borralho countered by urging Du Plessis to sign a fight contract instead of behaving childishly. The exchange suggests no official bout has been scheduled despite the public back-and-forth.
Caio Borralho took his title campaign literally to the doorstep of UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis, traveling to South Africa in an effort to force a response from the champion after his callouts reportedly went unanswered.
Borralho, known as "The Natural," carries an 18-2 record and is ranked fourth in the middleweight division. The 33-year-old Brazilian southpaw out of The Fighting Nerds has built a compelling case for a title shot, landing 3.44 significant strikes per minute at a sharp 56 percent accuracy rate while also mixing in takedown threats at 1.28 per 15 minutes.
Du Plessis, ranked second pound-for-pound and sitting at 23-3, responded to the stunt almost immediately on social media. The 32-year-old South African champion, who fights out of Team CIT and holds a 76-inch reach, invited Borralho directly to his gym for a Friday morning sparring session at 9 a.m., offering to have the session filmed. Du Plessis simultaneously dismissed the callout, stating that Borralho's name is not part of any current conversation about his next opponent. Du Plessis is a high-output finisher who lands 5.18 significant strikes per minute and adds 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes to his game.
Borralho fired back, urging Du Plessis to sign a fight contract rather than engage in what he called childish behavior. As of the reporting date, no bout agreement is in place.
Why it matters
- Borralho at number four in the division has a credible statistical and ranking case for a middleweight title shot
- Du Plessis publicly denying Borralho is in the conversation signals the champion may have other opponents in mind
- The style matchup — a high-volume switch-hitter against a precise southpaw with strong grappling — would carry genuine competitive intrigue if the UFC moves to book it
