Some fighters have the goal of climbing to the top of their category as quickly as possible. Others, like Sean O’Malley, are aware of their worth and want to be paid well to compete against opponents who are rated higher than them.
Brazil’s Middleweight Prospect Caio Borralho
Caio Borralho, a promising middleweight fighter from Brazil, believes that the second strategy is the one that takes the most strategic approach to the game.
Borralho, who has competed under the Zuffa banner since 2021 and won twice on Dana White’s Contender Series, considers himself to be Brazil’s “middleweight division’s future” as a result of his four victories in that weight class.
If he wins his fight on Saturday against Makhmud Muradov at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi, though, you shouldn’t expect him to challenge a fighter rated in the top spot at 185 pounds.
“To be honest with you, I’m not in a hurry to fight someone in the rankings,” Borralho stated on MMA Fighting’s Trocao Franca podcast.
“I’m not in the rush to fight someone in the rankings.” “I’ll fight this one and maybe one or two more outside the rankings to put some cash in my pocket,” he said. “I’m not afraid of anybody.” It is essential for the promotion to have combat hours.
You will develop both as a person and an athlete to a greater extent the more time you spend competing inside the octagon and the more bouts you win. I wish to make steady progress while attending to the responsibilities that are mine.
Following his most recent victory in the UFC, which took place in July of this year against Armen Petrosyan, Borralho expressed his desire to fight Dricus Du Plessis. However, the UFC decided to match the South African up against Darren on the program for December 10.
This time around, Borralho does not have a specific opponent in mind for his post-fight callout, but he does want to face “someone rated above me” so that he may move up the rankings and eventually realize his goal of being a world champion.
The Financial Situation
Borralho said that when people ask for top-ranked opponents in the UFC while being paid $20,000 to show and $20,000 to win, “people become overexcited about it.”
“I try to have a firm grasp on reality. I am familiar with the industry, and I am aware of how the game is played.
I’m not going to claim that I would never fight a rated opponent; all I’m saying is that I wouldn’t do it unless they offered me a purse that was much more than what I make now. I am in no hurry at all.
I’m going to win this bout, which is the third one on my contract, and then, God willing, I’ll re-sign with decent pay and then I’ll start fighting men who are higher rated. ” However, the reality of this division is that even the men in the twentieth place are formidable competitors.
The middleweight category is one of the most difficult weight classes. Even the lower-ranked competitors are not to be taken lightly. This is the battle that will take my life to the next level, both monetarily and in terms of buzz, which means having people speak about me.
This is the fight that will take me to the next level. This event, which is one of the most important of the year, will have a larger audience viewing it. This battle will lead me to the next level, and I’m mature enough and prepared to tackle the next step in my life.
Borralho Is Ecstatic to Fight
Borralho is delighted to battle in front of a huge audience for the first time since winning in 97 seconds at MFC 2 in Osasco, Sao Paulo. Borralho has gone unbeaten in 12 consecutive mixed martial arts fights since suffering a defeat in his second professional fight in 2015.
He went to Abu Dhabi expecting to be in unfriendly territory, but sources in the United Arab Emirates informed him that any supposed dispute between Muradov and Khabib Nurmagomedov or Islam Makhachev may influence Russian fans in his favor.
He traveled to Abu Dhabi intending to be in hostile territory.
Borralho said, “I had forgotten what it was like to battle in front of [a huge audience],” and he was right. “I want to test myself to see how I will respond. I am so grateful to be included in this card, which is the most important one of the year.
My goal has always been to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where I would compete in enormous venues and hear the audience shouting for or against me.
However, because of the epidemic, all of my matches have been held at the APEX. I am grateful to have this chance, and I am certain that it will help me achieve an even greater win.
Finishing Line
As a professional, Muradov has a record of 25-7, and he won his first three bouts in the UFC against Alessio Di Chirico, Trevor Smith, and Andrew Sanchez before suffering a defeat at the hands of Gerald Meerschaert through submission in the latter part of the same year.
Muradov’s record stands at 25-7. Borralho remarked, “The goal will be to start gradually and allow him to get fatigued,” but he predicted that he would win the fight. “I’m predicting I’ll finish this fight.”
I have no control over the outcome of the other ones, so I need that one to go well for me. Even though I was so dominating and there was no question in my mind that I was going to win the decision, I still want to win this bout by knockout.
