Nassourdine Imavov defeats Caio Borralho in Paris and calls out UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev.
Fighting at the Accor Arena before his home crowd, Imavov extended his winning streak to five in the UFC with scores of 50-45, 49-46, 49-46 from the judges for his 84kg (185-pound) fight against Borralho.
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The Saturday night matchup showcased Imavov’s dominance as he maintained control over the distance, utilizing precise boxing skills and consistent pressure to thwart Borralho, who entered the contest with a formidable 62% of his victories via KO/TKO or submission.
Having claimed the No 2 ranking in the UFC middleweight division, Imavov expressed disappointment over not achieving a knockout against Borralho as planned.
Despite not stopping his opponent, Imavov was clear in his message to Chimaev.
“I am next,” Imavov declared to a roaring crowd during his post-fight address. “[Borralho] was unbeaten for 10 years. I beat him, and I did so with style. I must be the next [in line for the UFC middleweight title challenge.”
With this, Borralho, previously ranked No 7, suffered his first loss within the UFC. After the fight, he graciously acknowledged Imavov as one of the toughest competitors he has faced.
“Thank you, Nassourdine, for the respect,” Borralho said. “I believe Nassourdine was the superior fighter today. He was very fast, as I expected. He excelled in the fight. I couldn’t adapt my strategy much. I was aiming for an entertaining fight for the fans and the UFC. Thus, I chose to engage with one of the world’s best strikers, and that’s what we all witnessed: a great battle.”
In the co-headline bout, lightweight Benoit Saint Denis subdued Mauricio Ruffy with a rear-naked choke at 2:56 of the second round.
Saint Denis, buoyed by the support of the local audience, became the first to submit Ruffy in his career.
Ruffy’s loss to Saint Denis ended a winning streak of seven fights that dated back to November 2019.
