Caio Borralho traveled to South Africa to challenge Dricus Du Plessis, who responded by inviting him to spar at his gym and said Borralho could post the footage. The exchange escalated when Borralho told Du Plessis to stop acting like a child and sign a contract, to which Du Plessis replied questioning why Borralho thinks his name is even in contract negotiations. Du Plessis pointed out that Borralho was 30 minutes from the gym and challenged him to show up. The post also mentions that amid this back-and-forth, some insiders reported that a Du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman fight is in development. Additionally, Shavkat Rakhmonov concerned fans with rehabilitation footage showing him far from fighting condition after not competing for over a year and a half.
Middleweight contender Caio Borralho flew to South Africa to confront Dricus Du Plessis directly, and the former champion fired back with an open invitation to spar at his gym — telling Borralho he was welcome to film and post every second of it.
Du Plessis, ranked second in the middleweight division at 32 years old, carries a 23-3 record and sits seventh on the pound-for-pound rankings. The South African is one of the more active strikers in the division, landing 5.18 significant strikes per minute while also threatening with 2.22 takedown attempts per 15 minutes. When Borralho pushed him to stop stalling and sign a contract, Du Plessis shot back by questioning why Borralho believes his name is even part of contract discussions — and noted that Borralho was just 30 minutes away from his gym when the exchange took place.
Borralho, ranked fourth at middleweight, brings an 18-2 record and arrives as a composed, well-rounded fighter out of The Fighting Nerds. The 33-year-old Brazilian southpaw lands 3.44 significant strikes per minute at 56 percent accuracy and mixes in consistent grappling with 1.28 takedown attempts per 15 minutes. His decision to travel to Du Plessis's home country signals genuine frustration with the pace of negotiations.
Separately, some insiders report that a Du Plessis versus Kamaru Usman fight is in development, which may partly explain Du Plessis's dismissiveness toward Borralho's callout.
Also drawing attention is welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov, the unbeaten 31-year-old Kazakhstani ranked third at 170 pounds. Rehabilitation footage circulating online has raised concern among fans, with the 19-0 Nomad appearing far from fighting condition after more than a year and a half away from competition.
Why it matters
- Du Plessis versus Borralho would pit the second- and fourth-ranked middleweights against each other, with significant title-contention implications
- The reported Du Plessis-Usman development could push Borralho's pursuit to the back of the line
- Rakhmonov's extended absence and physical condition add uncertainty to the welterweight division's top-five picture
