Caio Borralho says he has recovered from a rib injury and is targeting a fight with Dricus Du Plessis before the end of 2026, having formally requested a November 14 date from the UFC. He also cited December 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as an alternative, noting he has never lost in Vegas. Borralho says he has been campaigning for the Du Plessis matchup since early in his UFC tenure and is training fully, including sparring, but added he is willing to face any top-10 opponent the UFC puts in front of him.
Caio Borralho is pushing hard for a middleweight title shot, publicly calling out UFC champion Dricus Du Plessis and requesting a specific date to make it happen before the year is out.
Borralho, known as "The Natural," says he has fully recovered from a rib injury and is back in full training, including sparring. The 33-year-old Brazilian, who fights out of The Fighting Nerds camp, has submitted a formal request to the UFC for a November 14 date and pointed to December 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as a fallback option. He noted he has never lost in Las Vegas, adding a pointed edge to his preference for that venue. Ranked fifth in the middleweight division, Borralho carries an 18-2 record and has been vocal about pursuing this matchup since early in his UFC run. He lands 3.44 significant strikes per minute at a striking accuracy of 56 percent, and averages 1.28 takedowns per 15 minutes, illustrating a well-rounded game that mixes pressure striking with grappling threat. He added that he is willing to face any top-ten opponent the UFC presents if the title fight cannot be arranged.
Du Plessis, ranked second in the division and seventh pound-for-pound, is a 32-year-old South African fighting out of Team CIT. He holds a 24-3 record and operates out of a switch stance with a 76-inch reach. Du Plessis lands 5.21 significant strikes per minute, among the higher volumes in the middleweight division, and adds 1.9 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a genuinely dangerous threat across multiple phases of a fight.
Why it matters
- Borralho at No. 5 is one win away from a near-undeniable title claim, and a victory over Du Plessis would be the biggest of his career.
- Du Plessis at No. 2 represents the clearest ranked target available to Borralho for a late-2026 slot.
- The style matchup pits Borralho's high striking accuracy and takedown game against Du Plessis's elite striking volume and switch-stance versatility.
