WHEN Khamzat Chimaev realised his potential and claimed the UFC middleweight championship in style last month one thing was missing: a standout title contender.

But that situation can be rectified on Saturday night here in Paris when local hero Nassourdine Imavov headlines against Brazilian Caio Borralho.

The winner can absolutely lay claim to the next 185lb title chance, whilst a stoppage statement victory would all but guarantee it.

THE SNIPER

Imavov, 30, is the current #2 ranked contender following a second-round TKO win over former champion Israel Adesanya in February.

Born in Dagestan, but raised in France from the age of nine, ‘The Sniper’ had his first pro MMA fight in 2016 and was signed by the UFC in 2020.

His 16-4 record includes seven knockouts and four submission wins, but it’s his last five fights unbeaten that have jettisoned the striker into contention.

THE NATURAL

Borralho, 32, doesn’t fit the usual fighter type. He excelled in school and was on course to complete a degree in industrial chemistry before finding MMA at 18.

Three years later he was making his pro debut and has suffered just one defeat in 19 fights.

Founder of the Fighting Nerds team out of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Borralho leads a team of self-confessed fighting geeks who have collectively taken MMA by storm.

Individually, since entering the UFC in 2022, Borralho has seven dominating wins, cashing three performance bonuses in the process.

PARIS CONFLICT

After Chimaev’s one-sided beat-down of former champ Dricus du Plessis in Chicago three weeks ago, the division demands a next step for the unbeaten Chechnyan.

With Dutchman Renner de Ridder and American ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez scheduled for next month, opportunity knocks for Imavov and Borralho in Paris first.

Imavov has mixed with a beaten the higher calibre of clientele to get to this point.

His boxing is his strongest attribute. His hands are tidy and accurate plus he carries real power, as he proved early against Adesanya and late against former title challenger Jarod Cannonier.

Borralho has nine finishes in his 17 wins, five by KO and four via submission.

He’s not lost a fight in more than a decade and juggles a strong standup IQ with forward-thinking ground game, backed up by a black belt in BJJ.

The pressure to deliver a finish from both should ensure this fight starts at pace, with Imavov looking to land combinations and Borralho throwing bombs and clinching.

By the midway point and both tiring it will likely come down to who can hold it together best and Borralho seems to get stronger as the rounds tick away.

Both have got incredible chins, so I expect it to run the distance. But Borralho has that magic ingredient that will see how out-grapple and even out-strike Imavov to convince the judges.

Whether it’s enough to convince Dana White and the UFC hierarchy whether that’s enough to land Chimaev next is another matter.

TIP: Borralho on Points (29/20)

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