
Caio Borralho predicts late finish or 'domination' of Khamzat Chimaev in possible UFC bout
Caio Borralho predicts late finish or 'domination' of Khamzat Chimaev in possible UFC bout
Khamzat said yes!
The only thing that makes sense is the Interim belt!
This fight is gonna be bigger than him vs Dricus! Marks my words — Caio Borralho (@BorralhoCaio) April 20, 2025
Caio Borralho is confident he could outlast Khamzat Chimaev in a potential UFC fight.
With UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis rumored to be sidelined due to injury, Borralho called out No. 1 contender Chimaev, who has entertained the idea by going back-and-forth with the Brazilian on social media.
If the fight was to materialize, Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) thinks he can weather an early storm, drag Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) to the later rounds, and possibly finish him.
"I think the critical point is the first round," Borralho told Submission Radio. "I think that's the round that I need to not make a mistake at all. The first round is the dangerous one, and it's the critical point. After this round, I'm not saying that he is going to go down in his performance or anything like that, but that's when I'm going up in my performance.
"I think I can still, in the second round, defend some takedowns – even get taken down and get back up and all that – don't give my back or anything like that that he likes, and then after that start hitting him with some body shots, with some jabs that I'm doing very good with, some calf kicks and all that. And then after that, the fight is getting better and better for me. Maybe a knockout in the fourth round or fifth, or maybe a good decision and domination in the last three rounds."
Chimaev posted a picture of him carrying Borralho in training, as well as one in which he's choking him out. Borralho admits he got "beat up" in their sessions, but explains that he was there to help him and serve as a good training partner by going through the motions.
😳Khamzat Chimaev shares a photo of him submitting Caio Borralho
📸 @KChimaev ▫️ pic.twitter.com/acLZpwkM1u — Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) April 21, 2025
"That was far from a sparring session," Borralho said. "That was a video of him drilling positions that Allan Finfou was coming to him. Actually, that video is from 'Embedded' so we were filming for the UFC. We were doing drilling – he was taking the back, doing a rear-naked choke. Look at that: I didn't even defend the takedown. It was a drilling session."

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USA Today
43 minutes ago
- USA Today
UFC on ESPN 69's Cody Garbrandt says Sean O'Malley 'looked like sh*t' in title fight loss
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Time Magazine
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Full Name: Zinedine Yazid Zidane Nationality: French Era: 1989–2006 Notable Achievements: 1998 FIFA World Cup champion, UEFA Champions League winner (2002) Famous Clubs: Juventus, Real Madrid Legacy: Transitioned into a successful managerial career 7. Alfredo Di Stéfano Alfredo Di Stéfano was the heartbeat of Real Madrid's dominance in the 1950s. A complete forward, Di Stéfano could score, create, and dictate the pace of the game, earning him a place among soccer's all-time greats. 8. George Best George Best was a dazzling talent with incredible dribbling and goal-scoring abilities. Despite a career marred by off-field struggles, his brilliance on the pitch remains unforgettable. Full Name: George Best Nationality: Northern Irish Era: 1963–1984 Notable Achievements: 1968 European Cup winner Famous Clubs: Manchester United Legacy: Often referred to as the first celebrity footballer 9. Franz Beckenbauer Franz Beckenbauer, known as "The Kaiser," was the architect of modern defensive play. As a sweeper, he brought elegance and control to the backline while leading Germany to World Cup glory. Full Name: Franz Anton Beckenbauer Nationality: German Era: 1964–1983 Notable Achievements: 1974 FIFA World Cup champion Famous Clubs: Bayern Munich, New York Cosmos Legacy: Innovated the sweeper position 10. Gerd Müller Gerd Müller, "The Bomber," was a prolific goal scorer who dominated in front of goal. His uncanny ability to find the net made him one of the most feared forwards of his time. Conclusion on Top Soccer Players The ten players on this list represent the pinnacle of soccer excellence, showcasing the best the game has to offer. From Pelé's artistry to Ronaldo's unmatched work ethic, these players have inspired generations with their incredible talent and determination. Each brought something unique to the game, leaving a legacy that continues to influence the sport. Soccer's greatest legends remind us of the universal power of the game to unite, inspire, and thrill. Their contributions to soccer go beyond goals and trophies—they've given us moments of pure magic and helped the beautiful game capture the hearts of fans around the world. Related Articles: About the Authors: Richard D. Harroch is a Senior Advisor to CEOs, management teams, and Boards of Directors. He is an expert on M&A, venture capital, startups, and business contracts. He was the Managing Director and Global Head of M&A at VantagePoint Capital Partners, a venture capital fund in the San Francisco area. His focus is on internet, digital media, AI and technology companies. He was the founder of several Internet companies. His articles have appeared online in Forbes, Fortune, MSN, Yahoo, Fox Business and Richard is the author of several books on startups and entrepreneurship as well as the co-author of Poker for Dummies and a Wall Street Journal-bestselling book on small business. He is the co-author of a 1,500-page book published by Bloomberg on mergers and acquisitions of privately held companies. He was also a corporate and M&A partner at the international law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. He has been involved in over 200 M&A transactions and 250 startup financings. He can be reached through LinkedIn. Dominique Harroch is the Chief of Staff at She has acted as a Chief of Staff or Operations Leader for multiple companies where she leveraged her extensive experience in operations management, strategic planning, and team leadership to drive organizational success. With a background that spans over two decades in operations leadership, event planning at her own start-up and marketing at various financial and retail companies. Dominique is known for her ability to optimize processes, manage complex projects and lead high-performing teams. She holds a BA in English and Psychology from U.C. Berkeley and an MBA from the University of San Francisco. 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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mailbag: What in the world is Sean O'Malley's next move after back-to-back UFC title losses?
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That's where he should stay until the UFC makes it financially worthwhile to leave (which, let's be honest, probably isn't going to happen). @justlikelasagna: Isn't it time to start thinking about UFC after Dana White. They haven't pushed names they've always pushed him. Except everything but UFC seems to be grabbing Dana's attention recently. What's the next step post Dana? I've never seen anyone look so disinterested running a billion-dollar company. One of the UFC's great strengths is its organization. Most fight promotions are a damn mess, but the UFC is a well-oiled machine that can churn out weekly events on auto-pilot from now until the rapture. The flip side of this is that it seems to have gotten pretty boring for UFC CEO Dana White, who had to have the current state of his heavyweight division explained to him on Saturday by the media members who have actually been paying attention. Advertisement That said, I don't think anything short of death would get him out of that job. 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It's like those aliens in 'Arrival' who have not only a different language, but a completely different mode of expression and comprehension of both time and space. He's operating on a totally different mode and has been for decades. How else could he have managed this? @EyeofMihawk: Can we finally do away with unearned title rematches now? O'Malley got smashed. Juliana Peña still thinks she can call dibs. Yair Rodriguez turned down Diego Lopes. None of them deserve a title shot. This has to stop. Advertisement OK, I will admit that when I saw Julianna Peña trying to call 'dibs' on the winner of Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes, I had to check and make sure I wasn't being trolled by a fake account. I get it, fighters have to be at least a little bit delusional. And over the years Peña has given us reason to think she's well past a little bit. I think that's definitely helped her at times. She's won some fights she had no business winning simply because she was the last person to realize how overmatched she was. But this time? After that showing? I struggle to understand what's going on in her head. She was never really in that fight with Harrison, and the loss brought an end to one of the least distinguished title reigns in UFC history. A close second is her first title reign, which also ended as soon as she had to defend the belt. I don't really blame her for trying to put her name in the mix, just like I don't blame Sean O'Malley for accepting that rematch or Yair Rodriguez for aiming up at gold rather than a fellow contender. The title is where the money is, so why not ask for a shot? The worst they can say is no. Or, in Peña's case, maybe hell no. @JSanchezOnSI: Hey Ben! Just discovered you and loving your work my man. I'd like to know where you think O'Malley goes from here? Fight a few lower ranked guys? Move down a weight? He's stuck in no man's land a bit like Holloway after Volk. Advertisement I don't think he could make 125 pounds without a tapeworm, so if he's going to change weight classes, I think it makes a lot more sense to go up. With his frame, he could probably hold his own at featherweight. At the very least he'd have a bunch of new potential matchups and a fresh start in a new weight class. Staying at bantamweight seems like it offers limited possibilities as long as Dvalishvili is the champ. And it looks like he might stay that way for a long time. @sentientlife4o1: What's up with Patchy Mix? Was he fraud checked or was it first fight in the UFC jitters? Now that a number of Bellator champions have done relatively poorly in the UFC, is it fair to say the entire organization has been fraud checked? No, I don't think that's fair to say. Patchy Mix looked very bad, but he also looked bad in the way that suggested it could have been mostly nerves. Lots of fighters have struggled in their UFC debuts and then gone on to have great careers. The list of people who lost their first fight in the UFC includes Merab Dvalishvili, Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, Fabricio Werdum, Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva, just to name a few. Mix fought a very tough opponent and took about two rounds to wake up, by which point it was too late to get back in the fight. That can happen. It doesn't mean he was never any good to begin with. As for other Bellator champs, they've mostly come over to the UFC only after having entire careers elsewhere. That comes at a cost. @SLefkaditis: If Merab beats Cory, is there any other fight than Pantoja? Advertisement Sure, there are other fights. I get the sense the UFC would like to get Umar Nurmagomedov back in there with him for another shot. I'm not saying I love the idea, but I don't think it would take much to talk the UFC into it. Honestly, I think Dvalishvili would be a very, very tough fight for Alexandre Pantoja. But if the flyweight champ wanted to take the risk and move up in weight, I'd sure watch it. He does seem like a man in need of a challenge. @forty7pitches: Do you think the UFC will ever get to Connor levels again? I'm not sure it really cares to. I think the UFC learned a few things from the Conor McGregor era, one of which is that there are easier ways to make consistent, predictable profits that don't rely on catching lightning in a bottle. Stars are tricky in this sport. They tend to be a lot less compliant than the rank-and-file fighters on meager 50/50 contracts that fill out the content calendar. Do I think we could see another star emerge who's as big or bigger than McGregor? Sure. This is an individual sport and there's always someone out there with the potential to capture the attention and imagination of the audience. I just don't think that's a priority for the UFC or its parent company right now.