UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis responded to a call-out from Caio Borralho, who traveled to South Africa to challenge the champion. Du Plessis invited Borralho to come to his gym and spar, offering to let him post the footage publicly. Borralho dismissed the invitation as childish and urged Du Plessis to sign a fight contract instead. Du Plessis fired back, questioning why Borralho believed he was even in title contention and repeated the sparring challenge, noting Borralho was only 30 minutes away from the gym. Meanwhile, multiple insiders reported that the UFC is working on a fight between Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman. Shavkat Rakhmonov also drew concern from fans after posting rehabilitation videos showing him far from fighting shape, having not competed in over 18 months.
UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis publicly invited fourth-ranked contender Caio Borralho to spar at his gym after Borralho traveled to South Africa to issue a direct title challenge.
Du Plessis, 32, carries a 23-3 record and holds the middleweight title ranked seventh pound-for-pound. The South African finisher out of Team CIT fights out of a switch stance and brings relentless offensive output, averaging 5.18 significant strikes per minute along with 2.22 takedown attempts per 15 minutes. When Borralho showed up in his country to demand a title shot, Du Plessis responded by offering him open gym access and permission to post any sparring footage publicly. When Borralho declined, Du Plessis questioned why the Brazilian even considered himself in contention and repeated the offer, pointedly noting Borralho was only 30 minutes from the facility.
Borralho, 33, holds an 18-2 record and sits fourth in the middleweight division. The Brazilian southpaw out of The Fighting Nerds lands 3.44 significant strikes per minute at 56 percent accuracy and adds a steady grappling dimension with 1.28 takedown attempts per 15 minutes. He dismissed Du Plessis's sparring invitation as childish and publicly demanded the champion sign a fight contract instead.
This back-and-forth unfolded while multiple insiders, according to unconfirmed reports, indicated the UFC is exploring a booking between Du Plessis and former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman — a pairing that could push Borralho's title hopes further down the line.
Separately, welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov drew attention after posting rehabilitation footage that suggested he remains well short of fighting condition. The undefeated Kazakhstani, ranked third at welterweight with a 19-0 record, has not competed in over 18 months, and the videos prompted fresh concern among fans about his timeline to return.
Why it matters
- Du Plessis versus Borralho has not been officially booked despite Borralho's fourth-ranked status
- Unconfirmed reports linking Du Plessis to Usman could sideline Borralho's title ambitions entirely
- Rakhmonov's prolonged absence and current physical condition raise questions about the welterweight top-five picture
