Caio Borralho traveled to South Africa to challenge Dricus Du Plessis, prompting the champion to invite him to spar at his gym. Du Plessis told Borralho he could post videos of their sparring sessions if he wished. The exchange escalated on social media with Borralho calling on Du Plessis to sign a contract, while Du Plessis questioned why Borralho's name would be in any negotiations and challenged him to visit the gym, located 30 minutes away. Meanwhile, multiple insiders have reported that a fight between Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman is being developed. Separately, Shavkat Rakhmonov concerned fans with rehabilitation footage showing him far from fighting condition, having not competed in over 18 months.
Caio Borralho took his middleweight title ambitions across the globe, traveling to South Africa to confront champion Dricus Du Plessis directly — and Du Plessis responded by inviting him through the gym doors.
Du Plessis, 32, holds a 23-3-0 record and sits at number two in the middleweight division, also ranked seventh pound-for-pound. The South African champion fights out of a switch stance and produces one of the busiest striking outputs in the division at 5.18 significant strikes landed per minute. He told Borralho he was welcome to come spar at his gym, located just 30 minutes away, and could even post footage from the sessions. Du Plessis also publicly questioned why Borralho's name would appear in any contract negotiations.
Borralho, 33, carries an 18-2-0 record and is ranked fourth in the middleweight division. The Brazilian southpaw fights out of The Fighting Nerds camp, lands 3.44 significant strikes per minute at 56 percent accuracy, and adds 1.28 takedowns per 15 minutes to his game. He fired back on social media, calling on Du Plessis to stop talking and sign a contract.
The public back-and-forth comes as multiple insiders have reportedly indicated — though nothing is confirmed — that a fight between Du Plessis and former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is being developed, which would complicate Borralho's path to a title shot.
Also drawing attention is welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov, who has not competed in over 18 months. The undefeated 31-year-old Kazakh, ranked third at welterweight with a perfect 19-0-0 record and a 60 percent striking accuracy, concerned fans after rehabilitation footage surfaced suggesting he remains well away from fighting condition.
Why it matters
- Borralho's fourth-place middleweight ranking makes him a legitimate contender, but a Du Plessis versus Usman matchup, if confirmed, would push him further down the queue
- The sparring invitation adds an unusual public dimension to what is typically a contract dispute settled behind closed doors
- Rakhmonov's extended absence raises questions about the welterweight title picture, where his unbeaten record had him positioned as a leading challenger
