Caio Borralho has explained one key training difference that will give him an advantage in his UFC Paris fight against Nassourdine Imavov.
A hotly anticipated middleweight clash in the main event of UFC Paris on Saturday night will determine who moves on to a potential shot at the division’s champion, Khamzat Chimaev.
Other challengers Reinier de Ridder and Anthony Hernandez also battle it out in a firecracker fight in Canada to determine who will move closer to a title shot.
‘The Dutch King’ de Ridder last won a razor-close decision against Robert Whittaker, and Hernandez staked his claim with a dominant finish of Roman Dolidze.
Borralho is currently ranked seventh in the UFC rankings, but a win over Imavov could potentially see him rise to second position.
UFC Paris fighter Caio Borralho explains key training difference that sets him apart in Nassourdine Imavov clash
Both men have found themselves in form heading into this fight, but especially the Brazilian, who has been on a seven-fight winning streak since earning his contract on the Dana White Contender Series.
His name has also risen in the organisation with the formation of the successful ‘Fighting Nerds’ group that is based in Brazil.
The team is made up of fighters such as Carlos Prates, Jean Silva, and Mauricio Ruffy, who all train together in the gym founded by Borralho.
Asked by the Pound 4 Pound podcast why he and his team were so successful, the former mathematics teacher explained their key training difference, which sets them apart.
He said: “I think we live the fight before the fight. So, we live the fight in training and outside of training, we are studying the whole day, and we’re looking for patterns.
“We have a data scientist who does videos for us for every pattern that the guys have. So beginning of the rounds… We kind of see better how they prepare to do what they want to do, what the patterns are, and all that… I think that’s our biggest attribute.
Caio explained that the tape study will focus on different aspects of the fight, including how his opponent tends to begin, and they will practice those positions ‘10 to 20’ times to perfect the sequence.
Caio Borralho reveals tense UFC Paris interaction with Nassourdine Imavov
The main event participants have been kept mostly away from each other during the fight week build-up as they are preparing to face off only once more before fight night at the ceremonial weigh-in.
However, they had a brief interaction before their scheduled weigh-in, according to Borralho.
In an interview with Inside Fighting, he said: “This morning we just had a little bit of an interaction over there and then he tried to say some s- – – but it was only his manager say some s- – -.
“He’s not the one that says the truth. Everything comes out from his manager and then he just speaks what his manager says. But everything is said, everything is done on Saturday. We’ll see.”
‘The Natural’ believes he will put on an ‘undeniable’ performance on Saturday night and be the next number one contender for the belt.
A statement performance from either fighter is a necessity if they are to stake their claim in the race to face the middleweight champion.