Caio
Borralho expects that a title shot could be imminent if he
finishes his upcoming opponent.
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The next middleweight championship bout is already set, as Dricus Du
Plessis will put his 185-pound strap on the line against
Israel
Adesanya at UFC 305
in Perth, Australia on Aug. 17. Borralho admits that while he has
always mentally wagered against Du Plessis, the champ has proven
him wrong time and again. And yet, Borralho predicts that
“Stillknocks” will be dethroned by Adesanya due to a stylistic
disadvantage.
“I always bet against Dricus you know, but I always lost,” Borralho
told MMAjunkie.com. “Not money, but I always think
that he was going to lose the fights that he got, but he did an
amazing job and won the fights… But this time I think I’m gonna be
again against him. I think Adesanya – stylistically I don’t see
this fight match. I think Adesanya can manage the distance a lot,
can kick him a little bit more. Because all of [his] previous
opponents try to box him. I think Adesanya is going to kick him a
lot, manage the distance, circle out. I think he’s not gonna find a
good shot on Adesanya. And I think Adesanya can win this fight for
sure.”
Aside from the title fight, the middleweight title scenario has top
contenders Robert
Whittaker and Khamzat
Chimaev booked for UFC 308
in October. Meanwhile, Borralho headlines the first card of his
promotional tenure opposite Jared
Cannonier at UFC
on ESPN 62 on Aug. 24 at the promotion’s Apex in Las Vegas.
“The Natural” believes that a decision win over Cannonier puts him
in the same league as others in the upper echelon of the division.
However, Borralho expects an immediate title shot with a flashy
finish over “The Killa Gorilla.”
“Just winning is gonna put me in the mix with all these contenders
in the Top 5. But after winning [in an extremely impressive way],
if I knock out Jared
Cannonier or if I finish him on the ground or anything like
that, I think it puts me right away to next contender. My last
mantra in the fight with Paul Craig
is that I was going to KO Paul Craig,
and I did it. And now the mantra to this fight is that, I’m gonna
show the new champ has arrived… But anything that the UFC wants to
give me, I’m a company man you know.”
Borralho is undefeated in six UFC outings and fresh off a knockout
win over Craig this past March. Meanwhile, Cannonier is coming off
a controversial TKO loss against Nassourdine
Imavov this past June.