9 hours ago
Nassourdine Imavov abandons UFC 319 backup role, turns attention to Caio Borralho
Nassourdine Imavov abandons UFC 319 backup role, turns attention to Caio Borralho
No backup anymore. Conditions changed. You wanted to talk son, I'm here, I'm gonna break you @BorralhoCaio 🤓 ⏳ — Imavov Nassourdine (@imavov1) June 17, 2025
Nassourdine Imavov says he's no longer the backup for the UFC 319 middleweight title fight.
Instead, Imavov (16-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC), the UFC-ranked No. 1 middleweight, wants a scheduled fight of his own against Caio Borralho. The 29-year-old French fighter did not explain why he's abandoning the backup role for Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev, which serves as the UFC 319 main event at United Center in Chicago.
"No backup anymore," Imavov wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "Conditions changed. You wanted to talk son, I'm here, I'm gonna break you @BorralhoCaio."
Imavov has changed his tune on Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC), after initially dismissing his callout. In April, Borralho claimed Imavov turned down a fight offer, which prompted the Brazilian to sound off. At the time, Imavov didn't see an upside to fighting Borralho, who is further down in the rankings.
In the latest MMA Junkie/USA TODAY Sports middleweight rankings, Imavov holds the No. 4 spot with Borralho not too far behind at No. 8.
Currently riding a four-fight winning streak that includes wins over Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier, Brendan Allen, and former champion Israel Adesanya, Imavov is knocking on the door of a title shot. Borralho is rapidly climbing the ladder at 185 pounds as well, as he is undefeated through seven UFC bouts, including back-to-back bonus-earning performances in his most recent fights against Paul Craig and Jared Cannonier.
