Henry Cejudo Ranks The Stand Out Brazilian Stars From The Fighting Nerds

The Fighting Nerds team out of Brazil has been one of the most exciting stables of fighters to really announce their arrival in 2024. With one fighter signing to the UFC several years ago and proving himself to be a top contender in his division, three other stand outs have made huge impacts inside the […]

The Fighting Nerds team out of Brazil has been one of the most exciting stables of fighters to really announce their arrival in 2024. With one fighter signing to the UFC several years ago and proving himself to be a top contender in his division, three other stand outs have made huge impacts inside the Octagon after featuring on last year’s season of the Contender Series.

With an overall record of 11-0 with nine finishes in the UFC this year, Henry Cejudo recently ranked the four Fighting Nerds competitors that have put their team on the map. Unsurprisingly, he gave top billing to the squad’s unofficial team captain, Caio Borralho.

Borralho has won seven fights in a row at middleweight to earn himself the #6-ranking with wins over the likes of Jared Cannonier, Paul Craig and Abus Magomedov setting him up for a huge match-up next time out. Cejudo has been particularly impressed with his wrestling and consistency.

“I got to go with Borralho. His takedown entries are no joke. I wasn’t too sure if he was going to get tired but man, he’s special so I think he’s the first one to lead. Other than him being the first one to lead, I’m going to have to go with Jean Silva.”

Since producing an upset on Contender Series, Silva has won three fights in a row this year at both featherweight and lightweight. His latest win over Drew Dober earned him a performance of the night bonus and though Cejudo wants to see him, and the following names, get tested against a high-level wrestler, he’s very impressed with what he has seen thus far.

A fighter that will certainly be in the conversation for breakthrough fighter of the year is Carlos Prates who has finished all four of his opponents this year. A first round knockout against Neil Magny in his first main event at the start of this month saw him enter the welterweight rankings at #13.

“He’s one that I really want to know how good he really is and I do want to see him get tested in that wrestling department. Does Carlos Prates have that threshold of having somebody like a Shavkat or somebody that’s going to wrestle, a Kamaru Usman, someone that’s going to bring that heavy wrestling feel. How is it that he can handle all of that?”

Last but not least is the member of the four who fought the most recently, Mauricio Ruffy. A spectacular debut against Jamie Mullarkey opened his UFC account in style but his performance at UFC 309 where he faced James Llontop wasn’t as impressive after he secured a decision win as a massive favorite coming in.

“He just fought this weekend. Very creative, very dangerous on what he does and I do feel like he is special.”    

Top Middleweight Contender Thinks He Has An Advantage Over Khamzat Chimaev Due To Previous Training Experience

Khamzat Chimaev presents a challenge to his fellow middleweight contenders that is unlike anything else they have faced in the division. We saw at UFC 294 last year that Kamaru Usman was able to make the fight competitive after weathering the early storm. The problem is that surviving the opening round against the aggressive grappling […]

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Khamzat Chimaev presents a challenge to his fellow middleweight contenders that is unlike anything else they have faced in the division. We saw at UFC 294 last year that Kamaru Usman was able to make the fight competitive after weathering the early storm.

The problem is that surviving the opening round against the aggressive grappling of the undefeated mauler is far easier than done. UFC 308 this past weekend was the best example of this to date.

Despite all of his high level experience, former champion Robert Whittaker was unable to stop Chimaev from taking him down early on and submitting him, causing significant damage to his jaw in the process. The difficulty in preparing for someone like “Borz” is that not many people can match his skillset so fighting him comes with an element of battling the unexpected.

This isn’t a concern for the #6-ranked contender at 185-pounds, Brazil’s Caio Borralho. Borralho previously spent some time in Sweden training with Chimaev for his bout against Nate Diaz that was scheduled for UFC 279 in 2022 but ended up with him facing Kevin Holland instead.

Borralho isn’t trying to pursue a fight with his former training partner for this exact reason but he’s not opposed to squaring off with him in the future if it means that one of them leaves with the middleweight belt. In a recent interview with Submission Radio, he said that his previous experience training with Chimaev only helps him as both men continue to climb up the ranks.

He believes that he has somewhat of a head start on figuring out how to beat him compared to the other top names in the division.

“Yes, definitely. This is something that I’m ahead of all the fighters in because I know what to expect, I know what’s coming, I know how Khamzat works on his wrestling, his wall work and all this. I was with him for like one month so I was dealing with this every day, you know, so definitely I’m ahead of all the guys in the division about it.”

Continue Reading Top Middleweight Contender Thinks He Has An Advantage Over Khamzat Chimaev Due To Previous Training Experience at MMA News.

Top Middleweight Contender Thinks He Has An Advantage Over Khamzat Chimaev Due To Previous Training Experience

Khamzat Chimaev presents a challenge to his fellow middleweight contenders that is unlike anything else they have faced in the division. We saw at UFC 294 last year that Kamaru Usman was able to make the fight competitive after weathering the early storm. The problem is that surviving the opening round against the aggressive grappling […]

Continue Reading Top Middleweight Contender Thinks He Has An Advantage Over Khamzat Chimaev Due To Previous Training Experience at MMA News.

Khamzat Chimaev presents a challenge to his fellow middleweight contenders that is unlike anything else they have faced in the division. We saw at UFC 294 last year that Kamaru Usman was able to make the fight competitive after weathering the early storm.

The problem is that surviving the opening round against the aggressive grappling of the undefeated mauler is far easier than done. UFC 308 this past weekend was the best example of this to date.

Despite all of his high level experience, former champion Robert Whittaker was unable to stop Chimaev from taking him down early on and submitting him, causing significant damage to his jaw in the process. The difficulty in preparing for someone like “Borz” is that not many people can match his skillset so fighting him comes with an element of battling the unexpected.

This isn’t a concern for the #6-ranked contender at 185-pounds, Brazil’s Caio Borralho. Borralho previously spent some time in Sweden training with Chimaev for his bout against Nate Diaz that was scheduled for UFC 279 in 2022 but ended up with him facing Kevin Holland instead.

Borralho isn’t trying to pursue a fight with his former training partner for this exact reason but he’s not opposed to squaring off with him in the future if it means that one of them leaves with the middleweight belt. In a recent interview with Submission Radio, he said that his previous experience training with Chimaev only helps him as both men continue to climb up the ranks.

He believes that he has somewhat of a head start on figuring out how to beat him compared to the other top names in the division.

“Yes, definitely. This is something that I’m ahead of all the fighters in because I know what to expect, I know what’s coming, I know how Khamzat works on his wrestling, his wall work and all this. I was with him for like one month so I was dealing with this every day, you know, so definitely I’m ahead of all the guys in the division about it.”

Continue Reading Top Middleweight Contender Thinks He Has An Advantage Over Khamzat Chimaev Due To Previous Training Experience at MMA News.

Caio Borralho Calls For Whittaker In Sydney Or Backup Role For Next Title Fight   

As the #6-ranked contender in the middleweight division, there aren’t many fights that make sense for the surging Caio Borralho right now. The Brazilian called out a former champion following his win over Jared Cannonier but doesn’t look to have gotten anywhere with it just yet. With UFC 312 being announced for Sydney, Australia in […]

Continue Reading Caio Borralho Calls For Whittaker In Sydney Or Backup Role For Next Title Fight    at MMA News.

As the #6-ranked contender in the middleweight division, there aren’t many fights that make sense for the surging Caio Borralho right now. The Brazilian called out a former champion following his win over Jared Cannonier but doesn’t look to have gotten anywhere with it just yet.

With UFC 312 being announced for Sydney, Australia in February, his proposed fight against Israel Adesanya would make a lot of sense. It now looks like Alexander Volkanovski won’t be on the card so getting some big names from this region in meaningful fights is sure to be high on the UFC’s list of priorities.

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Borralho said that fighting Robert Whittaker on this card could be an option if the former champion has healed in time from his injuries that he suffered this past weekend at UFC 308.

“I definitely think it’s a great fight, I’m a big fan of Rob, a big fan of what he has done in this sport. I think he’s a great guy, a nice guy, but definitely it’s a fight that I want if Adesanya doesn’t want to face me in the next fight, I think Robert Whittaker is the one that I want.”

In the mean time, Borralho is happy to wait for the right fight and revealed that he’s already put his name into the mix to be the backup fighter for the next middleweight title fight. He believes that Sean Strickland will be next to challenge the champion, Dricus Du Plessis.

That leaves Khamzat Chimaev who he’s trained with in the past so isn’t actively pursuing a fight with unless it means securing UFC gold. As a result, Borralho is open to the idea of staying ready in case the UFC needs someone to step in.

“In fact, I told that to the UFC, I told that to Hunter, to Mick Maynard, that I can be the backup fighter. If they want me to be, I can be the backup fighter. I’m going to make weight and gonna wait. If something happens, I’ll be ready, I’ll be more than ready.”   

Continue Reading Caio Borralho Calls For Whittaker In Sydney Or Backup Role For Next Title Fight    at MMA News.

Caio Borralho Confident He Finishes Israel Adesanya: “Maybe get a good knockout”

Caio Borralho Confident He Finishes Israel Adesanya: "Maybe get a good knockout"Caio Borralho is brimming with confidence following his performance against Jared Cannonier. ‘The Natural’ skyrocketed himself in the middleweight…

Caio Borralho Confident He Finishes Israel Adesanya: "Maybe get a good knockout"

Caio Borralho is brimming with confidence following his performance against Jared Cannonier.

‘The Natural’ skyrocketed himself in the middleweight top five with a unanimous decision victory over Cannonier at a UFC Fight Night event on August 24. The victory moved Borralho to a perfect 7-0 inside the Octagon and established him as a legitimate contender in one of the promotion’s most talent-rich divisions.

Caio Borralho

With his sights already set on a clash with reigning 185-pound champion Dricus Du Plessis, Borralho thinks one more big win will put him in pole position and he already has the perfect opponent in mind.

During a recent interview with Submission Radio, Borralho shared his take on the UFC 305 headliner between Du Plessis and the returning Israel Adesanya. Despite gaining some ground in the fourth round, ‘The Last Stylebender’ came up short after absorbing a wayward right-hand moments before being submitted via a rear-naked choke.

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Borralho is convinced that Adesanya ultimately gave up after he began to tire out in the championship rounds.

“There was a moment that he gave up of the fight, and actually it was like a minute before he actually got finished,” Borralho said. “I think he got tired, and I think he lost the focus, and he was starting to do things that he doesn’t usually do. He was starting to trade punches like crazy. He was putting a lot of power on the punches, trying to just knock out, just to get out of there.

“I thought that he was not comfortable there anymore, as the moment that he got tired in the fight, and DDP did an amazing job. So, I don’t know if Adesanya still has it – the same focus, the same thing because if you see all the fights of him when he gets tired, he even changed a little bit. His face, you know, his expression, just to tell himself that he’s still there, that he gets more focused, that even when he’s tired.

“But this time, he looked a little bit more scared in his expression, on his face, and he gave up on the fight like a minute before the fight ended. If you see, he gave us some signs that he didn’t want to be there anymore” (h/t MMA Junkie).

Caio Borralho convinced he can finish Israel Adesanya

Borralho believes he can find similar success against Adesanya by applying pressure and keeping the ‘Stylebender’ on his back foot.

“I’m a guy that puts a lot of pressure when it comes about fighting,” Borralho said. “You guys see how I made Jared – I think Jared is the most powerful guy in the division. The heavy hitter of the division I think is Jared Cannonier in the top 10. None of these other guys hit as hard as him. So, if I made him move backwards, I would definitely make anyone move backwards, you know? And I’m going to pressure a lot Adesanya in this fight, make him move backwards.

“He likes to move backwards, actually, but I might be the only guy that uses feints, that we’re going to kick him the same way that he’s going to kick me, and I have the advantage on wrestling and grappling, too. So, I think he’ll be always in doubt if I’m going to put him down or if I’m going to just trade punches with him. I’m going to put pressure and maybe get a good knockout or a good takedown, and definitely going to finish him. With all the respect always, but that’s the way I see this fight going.”

Adesanya has now lost three of his last four, including losses to Alex Pereira, Sean Strickland, and Dricus Du Plessis. With no plans to lay down his gloves, the two-time titleholder is staring down the barrel of his first non-title fight in more than five years.

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Caio Borralho Makes Convincing Argument To Fight Israel Adesanya Next: ‘So Dominant In His Prime…’

Following his biggest win to date this past weekend, Caio Borralho finds himself in the top five of the UFC’s middleweight division. The Contender Series alum capitalized on his first main event opportunity by beating Jared Cannonier to inject some new blood into the mix at 185-pounds. Though he would like to be in the […]

Continue Reading Caio Borralho Makes Convincing Argument To Fight Israel Adesanya Next: ‘So Dominant In His Prime…’ at MMA News.

Following his biggest win to date this past weekend, Caio Borralho finds himself in the top five of the UFC’s middleweight division.

The Contender Series alum capitalized on his first main event opportunity by beating Jared Cannonier to inject some new blood into the mix at 185-pounds.

Though he would like to be in the title picture already, it appears likely that Borralho will need one more big win in order to really solidify his case, due to Sean Strickland being in line to challenge Dricus Du Plessis next.

The Brazilian has now targeted the next best thing to fighting for the belt and that means facing off with the division’s biggest name.

Caio Borralho Says Fighting Israel Adesanya Means He Gets To Face A Legend

For the first time in a long time, Israel Adesanya’s next outing inside the Octagon will not be in a UFC title fight.

“The Last Stylebender” said after his defeat at UFC 305 that he isn’t going anywhere just yet, meaning that he will go back to joining the list of contenders.

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Borralho made a strong case for why he should be next for the former champion.

When you look at the other top fights in the rankings right now, Adesanya has already faced many of them aside from Brendan Allen and Nassourdine Imavov, who are already matched up with one another as the #5 contender pointed out.

Borralho said that he wants this fight next because it would be a big moment for his own legacy to face someone that has represented the very best of the weight class for such a long time.

“Let’s see, I want to fight him [Adesanya]. I think it will be a good fight on my resume and if the UFC wants me to do one more fight before I go to the belt, I think this is the fight to make. Why not fight a guy that is a legend of this sport and that was so dominant in his prime, so definitely a guy that I want to face just because nothing personal but just because it makes sense right now for him and it makes sense for me too.”

Borralho then went on to explain how Adesanya has fought all the other names in the top 8 of the division, except Imavov and Allen – who are going to fight one another.

Hence, the only realistic fight for Adesanya is the Brazilian, and Borralho is only too happy to oblige.

Read also: MMA Analyst Believes Israel Adesanya Following ‘The Khabib Model’ Might Have Led To Dricus Du Plessis Loss

Continue Reading Caio Borralho Makes Convincing Argument To Fight Israel Adesanya Next: ‘So Dominant In His Prime…’ at MMA News.