Caio Borralho plans to make a statement against Nassourdine Imavov.

Through seven appearances inside the Octagon, Borralho is a perfect 7-0, including a pair of highlight-reel knockouts against Michał Oleksiejczuk and Paul Craig. On September 6, he’ll look to add another body to the stack when he squares off with the middleweight division’s top-ranked contender at UFC Paris.

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Borralho broke down how he intends to wear down the Dagestani and solidify himself as the next man in line for a shot at the 185-pound crown.

“I’m going to pressure this guy,” Borralho said. “He’s going to get tired, and I’m going to knock him out. He’s going to be too emotional, and I’m going to knock him out with his own emotions. This is a fight where I’m going to get punched in the face, he’s going to get punched in the face. But everybody already saw who is comfortable in that position—and it’s not him.

“He doesn’t like to get punched. I’m going to touch him a lot, pressure him, defend his speed, and at the right time, I’m going to knock him out.”

Like Borralho, Imavov heads to The City of Light back by an impressive unbeaten streak. The Sniper’ has bested his last five challengers, including former two-time titleholder Israel Adesanya.

Imavov put away ‘The Last Stylebender’ 30 seconds into the second round at UFC Saudi Arabia in February, skyrocketing himself to the No. 1 spot in the middleweight rankings. Now, he’ll put his number on the line against one of the UFC’s most exciting prospects in the French capital.

Craig Pekios

Craig Pekios is a freelance writer born and raised in Bettendorf, IA. Joining LowKick MMA in May 2022, Craig has more than 4,000 articles published that focus on the world of MMA and boxing, including news, event previews, results, analysis, and op-eds.