Caio Borralho sees Nassourdine Imavov as a logical next opponent.
Imavov (16-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) emerged as a potential title contender when he knocked out former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (24-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 250 headliner at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Imavov called for a title shot next, but with streaking contender Borralho also vying for his shot, he likes the idea of them fighting next.
“I think Imavov can be a great fight, but I think (Robert) Whittaker can be a great fight, too,” Borralho told Submission Radio. “So whoever the UFC decides me to go, I’m ready.”
Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who’s coming off a five-round main event win over Jared Cannonier in August, thinks he can outlast Imavov.
“If it’s a five-round fight. I think he might get tired with my pace and my rhythm on him,” Borralho said. “I for sure need to get a little bit aware of his right hand because he comes very fast, and in this sport the speed and the timing beats everything. So I think we can have two great, close rounds, maybe three, but in the fourth or fifth, I think I can push him a little bit more and maybe get the finish – but for sure get the victory.”
Borralho admits he thought Adesanya would beat Imavov. He broke down the fight-ending sequence.
“I thought Israel was going to pick him apart for like three or four rounds and then maybe lose one round or something like that,” Borralho said. “I thought it would be more like on point to get hit and all that, but I think he was good on hitting somebody, but wasn’t that good when he gets hit. I think he might be a little bit off on the fight time – the sparring time and all that. He’s not in his prime, for sure, but it’s hard to say because the guy has been the GOAT for so long, been so good for so long.
“It’s hard to see the guy losing that way, but I think he did a wrong choice when he switched the stance too close to Imavov, because when you switch the stance, you need to be a little bit far away from the guy so you can adjust, and the guy can adjust just too. But I think he switched his stance so close to Imavov, and he didn’t have to adapt, and then he got clipped.”
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This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Caio Borralho eyes UFC Fight Night 250 winner Nassourdine Imavov next
