Caio Borralho traveled to South Africa to challenge middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis, sparking a heated social media exchange. Du Plessis invited Borralho to his gym for sparring, suggesting he could film and post the sessions. Borralho responded by calling du Plessis childish and urging him to sign a contract. Du Plessis fired back, questioning why Borralho thought his name was even in contract negotiations and challenged him to show up at the gym, which was only 30 minutes away. Meanwhile, insiders reported that a fight between du Plessis and Kamaru Usman is in development. The post also notes that Shavkat Rakhmonov concerned fans with a rehabilitation video showing him far from fighting shape, having not competed in over 18 months.
Caio Borralho took his title pursuit directly to the champion's backyard, traveling to South Africa to publicly call out middleweight titleholder Dricus du Plessis and igniting a sharp back-and-forth between the two fighters on social media.
Borralho, 33, carries an 18-2 record and holds the number-four ranking in the middleweight division. The Brazilian southpaw, who trains out of The Fighting Nerds, lands 3.44 significant strikes per minute at 56 percent accuracy and averages 1.28 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him one of the more well-rounded threats in the 185-pound class. His message to du Plessis was pointed: stop playing games and sign a contract.
Du Plessis, 32, is the reigning middleweight champion and sits at number seven on the pound-for-pound rankings with a 23-3 record. The South African, who fights out of a switch stance for Team CIT, is among the most active strikers in the division at 5.18 significant strikes per minute. Rather than engage with contract talk, du Plessis invited Borralho to come spar at his gym — only 30 minutes away — and told him to feel free to film and post the sessions. When Borralho called that response childish, du Plessis shot back by questioning why Borralho assumed his name was even part of any contract discussions.
Adding another layer to the middleweight picture, insiders have reported that a fight between du Plessis and former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is currently in development, which may explain the champion's skepticism toward Borralho's push.
Why it matters
- Borralho at number four is a credible title contender, and his willingness to confront the champion on his home soil raises the profile of his campaign.
- The reported du Plessis versus Usman development suggests the champion's next defense may already be pointed in a different direction.
- Separately, third-ranked welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov, 31, has drawn concern from fans after a rehabilitation video surfaced showing the undefeated Kazakhstani far from fighting condition, with the 19-0 knockout artist now more than 18 months removed from competition.
