Five Caio Borralho Fights To Watch Before UFC São Paulo

The dominant performance solidified Borralho’s position as a strong middleweight contender and hinted at the potential for an even tougher challenge in his future bouts.

vs Makhmud Muradov (Watch on UFC Fight Pass)

At UFC 280, Borralho maintained his unbeaten status inside the Octagon with a hard-earned unanimous decision victory over Makhmud Muradov, marking his third win of 2022.

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This fight represented a notable step up in competition for Borralho, who had previously defeated fellow graduates from Dana White’s Contender Series in his initial outings. Despite the challenge, Borralho showcased his superior grappling skills, effectively controlling the fight by forcing the action into his comfort zone.

With an impressive overall record at the time of 13-1 and a perfect 3-0 UFC record, Borralho had firmly established himself as a standout from the previous year’s DWCS graduating class.

vs Armen Petrosyan (Watch on UFC Fight Pass)

In the middleweight bout between two DWCS alumni, Borralho managed to secure a unanimous decision victory over Armen Petrosyan after three rounds. 

Borralho initiated the action in the opening minute with a combination of strikes used to set up a takedown. He followed that by focusing on Petrosyan’s arm before gaining control of his back. Despite Petrosyan’s efforts to defend on the ground, he couldn’t escape the body triangle Borralho had secured him in before the round ended.

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The fight returned to the mat early in the second, with Borralho once again dictating the pace. Although Petrosyan managed to escape after a minute, he resorted to kicking Borralho’s legs until Borralho regained his feet. 

With two minutes remaining, Borralho executed another takedown and took Petrosyan’s back, maintaining control until the round ended. 

In the final round, Petrosyan attempted to take the offensive, evading Borralho’s initial takedown but succumbing to the second attempt. Despite getting back up quickly, Petrosyan found himself trapped against the fence until the final moments of the fight.

vs Gadzhi Omargadzhiev (Watch on UFC Fight Pass)

In the middleweight co-main event at UFC Fight Night: Lique vs Muhammed, Borralho emerged victorious against fellow DWCS alum Gadzhi Omargadzhiev via technical unanimous decision. 

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Borralho initially gained control by executing a sweep early in the fight, allowing him to take Omargadzhiev’s back. Despite Omargadzhiev’s efforts, Borralho maintained dominance, both in striking and grappling, in the second round. 

The turning point occurred in the third when an accidental knee on a downed Omargadzhiev led to the fight being stopped. Once the fight was waved off and sent to the scorecards, Borralho was declared the winner, bringing his record to 11-1.

vs Jessie Murray (Watch on UFC Fight Pass)

During season 5 of DWCS, the Brazilian middleweight emerged as one of the standout prospects of the season. Despite securing a victory, many were surprised when Dana White didn’t offer him a contract. 

Despite this, Borralho remained prepared, and just three weeks later, he returned to the APEX in a higher weight class. This time, it took him less than two minutes to change the UFC CEO’s mind. He aggressively pursued Murray, landing two impressive left hands and a subsequent right hook. His relentless ground-and-pound sealed the deal, earning him a spot on the UFC roster.