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The UFC is back in Paris this week with a crucial fight for the middleweight division at the top of the lineup.
“The City of Lights” and Accor Arena will play host to the UFC’s annual September visit to France with Nassourdine Imavov (16-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) vs. Caio Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in the headliner.
The middleweight title changed hands in August when Khamzat Chimaev throttled Dricus Du Plessis from start to finish, and all eyes turned to Paris to see whether Imavov or Borralho will assert himself as the clear-cut next in line for a shot at the belt – and the first to challenge new champ Chimaev.
With fight week officially underway, take a look back at the UFC careers of Imavov, a Russian who trains in France, and Borralho, the de factor leader of Brazil’s newly famed Fighting Nerds team, in a full fight marathon.
Imavov comes into the bout on a four-fight winning streak – including a second-round bonus-winning knockout of ex-champ Israel Adesanya in February. But Borralho has won 16 straight fights over a stretch of more than 10 years. Borralho’s popularity has soared in the past couple years, and he has bonuses in three of his past four wins – including back-to-back extra checks against Paul Craig and recent title challenger Jared Cannonier.
Check out four full fights each from Imavov (wins over Adesanya, Joaquin Buckley, Edmen Shahbazyan and Ian Heinisch) and Borralho (wins over Cannonier, Craig, Michael Oleksiejczuk and Jesse Murray, which came on DWCS to get him into the UFC).
