Caio Borralho traveled to South Africa to call out champion Dricus Du Plessis, but Du Plessis responded by inviting him to spar at his gym. The champion told Borralho he could film and post the sparring sessions if he wanted, and that the gym was only 30 minutes away. Borralho responded by telling Du Plessis to stop acting like a child and sign a contract. Du Plessis questioned why Borralho thought his name was even being discussed in negotiations. Meanwhile, multiple insiders have reported that a bout between Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman is being developed, adding context to the champion's dismissive response to Borralho.
Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis responded to a bold callout from Caio Borralho by inviting the Brazilian contender to his gym for a sparring session rather than engaging with the challenge on equal terms.
Borralho, ranked fourth in the middleweight division, made the trip to South Africa to put pressure on Du Plessis directly. The 33-year-old southpaw carries an 18-2 record and has shown clean, efficient striking throughout his UFC run, connecting on 56 percent of his significant strikes at a rate of 3.44 per minute. His presence in Du Plessis's backyard was a clear statement of intent.
Du Plessis, however, was unmoved. The South African champion told Borralho the gym was thirty minutes away, that he was welcome to come spar, and that he could film and post every round if he wished. When Borralho shot back and told the champion to stop acting like a child and sign a contract, Du Plessis questioned why Borralho believed his name was even part of any title negotiations. Du Plessis holds a 23-3 record, sits seventh in the pound-for-pound rankings, and lands 5.18 significant strikes per minute while averaging 2.22 takedowns per fifteen minutes — a complete, dangerous fighter at 32 years old with a 76-inch reach.
The champion's dismissive tone carries context. Multiple insiders have reported that Du Plessis's team is in discussions around a fight with Kamaru Usman, the former welterweight king now ranked eighth in that division. Usman, 39, holds a 21-4 record and carries a 76-inch reach of his own, making it a physically imposing matchup on paper.
Why it matters
- Borralho is ranked fourth at middleweight but may be frozen out if a Du Plessis versus Usman fight takes priority
- Du Plessis's public response signals Borralho is not currently part of title negotiations from the champion's perspective
- A crossover fight with Usman would be a high-profile detour from a traditional divisional title defense
