UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis and contender Caio Borralho engaged in a heated exchange after Borralho traveled to South Africa to challenge du Plessis. Du Plessis invited Borralho to his gym to spar, offering to let him post the footage, while Borralho demanded du Plessis sign a contract for an official fight. Du Plessis responded by questioning why Borralho's name would even be in contract negotiations and challenged him to visit the gym, which was only 30 minutes away. Meanwhile, multiple insiders have reported that a fight between du Plessis and Kamaru Usman is in development, potentially explaining du Plessis's dismissal of Borralho's challenge. The post also mentions that Shavkat Rakhmonov concerned fans with rehabilitation footage showing him far from fighting condition, having not competed in over 18 months.
UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis and ranked contender Caio Borralho have engaged in a pointed public exchange after Borralho traveled to South Africa to issue a face-to-face callout, though no official fight has been announced.
Du Plessis, 32, carries a 23-3-0 record and holds the middleweight title while also sitting at number seven in the pound-for-pound rankings. The South African switch-hitter is one of the division's most active strikers, landing 5.18 significant strikes per minute, and also averages 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes, demonstrating well-rounded threat across all ranges. When Borralho arrived in his country demanding a contract, du Plessis responded by inviting him to spar at his gym — just 30 minutes away — and offering to let Borralho post the footage publicly. He also questioned why Borralho's name would be part of any contract talks at all.
Borralho, 33, holds an 18-2-0 record and sits fourth in the middleweight rankings. The Brazilian southpaw from The Fighting Nerds camp lands 3.44 significant strikes per minute at 56 percent accuracy and has shown consistent grappling pressure, averaging 1.28 takedowns per 15 minutes across his UFC tenure.
Why it matters
- Du Plessis's dismissal of Borralho may be connected to separate reports from multiple insiders that a bout between the champion and former welterweight king Kamaru Usman is currently in development, though nothing is confirmed.
- If the Usman fight does materialize, Borralho — despite holding the fourth-ranked spot — would likely be pushed down the queue for a title shot.
- Rakhmonov, ranked third at welterweight with a perfect 19-0-0 record, has drawn concern from fans after rehabilitation footage surfaced showing him well short of fighting condition, with the Kazakh standout now having gone more than 18 months without a contest.
