Caio Borralho has outlined two potential scenarios for the middleweight division following the Chimaev-Strickland fight. If Khamzat Chimaev wins, Borralho suggests Chimaev will move up in weight, leaving the belt vacant for a rematch between Borralho and Imavov. If Sean Strickland wins, Borralho argues he should be next in line as the only top-5 fighter Strickland hasn't faced. Borralho asked fans whether his proposed scenarios make sense. The post reflects Borralho positioning himself for a title shot regardless of the main event outcome.
Caio Borralho has publicly mapped out two title-shot pathways for himself in the middleweight division, framing his case around whichever fighter emerges victorious from the upcoming Khamzat Chimaev versus Sean Strickland contest.
Borralho, ranked fourth at 185 pounds, holds an 18-2 record and has established himself as one of the division's most consistent finishers and grapplers. The 33-year-old Brazilian southpaw out of The Fighting Nerds posts 1.28 takedowns per 15 minutes and attempts submissions at a rate of 0.4 per 15 minutes, complementing a striking accuracy of 56 percent. His argument is straightforward: he is the only fighter inside the top five that reigning champion Strickland has not yet faced.
Strickland, the 35-year-old American champion out of Xtreme Couture, carries a 31-7 record and is one of the division's most active strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy. Standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, he has worked through the middleweight contender ladder, and Borralho argues that gap in his résumé creates a clear obligation.
The second scenario Borralho laid out involves Chimaev winning the belt. The number-one-ranked contender from the UAE, fighting out of Allstars Training Center, carries a 15-1 record and an elite grappling profile — 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minute, with 60 percent striking accuracy. Borralho's read is that a Chimaev title win would likely prompt a move to light heavyweight, leaving the middleweight throne vacant and setting up a rematch between himself and Nassourdine Imavov.
Why it matters
- A Chimaev weight-class move would create an immediate vacancy, accelerating the timeline for contenders like Borralho
- Borralho's claim of being Strickland's lone untested top-five opponent is a credible negotiating position given the champion's recent activity
- A potential Borralho-Imavov rematch would carry divisional title implications rather than serving as a standard contender bout
