Caio Borralho traveled to South Africa to call out middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis for a title fight. Du Plessis responded by inviting Borralho to his gym for sparring, offering to let him post videos of their sessions. When Borralho deflected and urged Du Plessis to sign a contract, the champion questioned why Borralho thinks he's in title negotiations and challenged him to show courage by actually coming to the gym. Multiple insiders reported that a fight between Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman is being developed instead. Separately, Shavkat Rakhmonov alarmed fans with a rehabilitation video showing him far from fighting shape, having not competed in over a year and a half.
Caio Borralho made his case for a middleweight title shot in dramatic fashion, traveling to South Africa to confront champion Dricus Du Plessis face to face — only for the champion to turn the callout back around on him with a sparring invitation.
Borralho, 33, enters the conversation with genuine credentials. The Brazilian southpaw holds an 18-2 record and sits fourth in the middleweight rankings, fighting out of The Fighting Nerds camp. He lands 3.44 significant strikes per minute at 56 percent accuracy and supplements his striking with 1.28 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a well-rounded threat at 185 pounds.
Du Plessis, however, did not appear moved by the theatrics. The South African champion carries a 23-3 record and ranks second in the division, also sitting seventh pound-for-pound at age 32. One of the busiest and most aggressive fighters in the weight class, Du Plessis averages 5.18 significant strikes per minute and adds 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes to his arsenal. He invited Borralho to his gym, offered to let him film the sparring sessions, and then questioned why Borralho believes he is in title negotiations at all when the challenger deflected and pushed for a contract instead.
Why it matters
- Du Plessis publicly questioning Borralho's standing signals the champion does not view him as the next mandatory challenger.
- Multiple insiders report the promotion is developing a Du Plessis versus Kamaru Usman matchup, which would push Borralho further down the queue.
- At ranked fourth, Borralho needs a high-profile moment to accelerate his title timeline, but Du Plessis's response reframes the callout as a stunt rather than a serious negotiation.
Adding further turbulence to the welterweight picture, Shavkat Rakhmonov drew concern from fans after a rehabilitation video surfaced showing the unbeaten Kazakhstani contender far from fighting shape. The 31-year-old, who stands six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach and carries a spotless 19-0 record at number three in the welterweight rankings, has not competed in over a year and a half.
