Caio Borralho a Star on the Rise

Life took a positive turn for Caio Borralho once he arrived in the Ultimate Fighting Championship a little more than a year and a half ago, and he hopes to maintain his upward trajectory moving forward.

The 30-year-old Fighting Nerds representative will throw down with Abusupiyan Magomedov in a UFC Fight Night 231 middleweight showcase on Nov. 4 at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Borralho enters the match on a run of 11 consecutive victories, the last four of which have taken place inside the Octagon.

“I expected to go on this winning streak,” he told Sherdog.com. “Of course, every fight is unique, so I face each one as if it’s the most important one of my life. The truth is that I’ve been working hard over the last 10 years, thinking about having good performances in the UFC and becoming the world champion. I didn’t skip any steps to get to the UFC. I didn’t pad my record. I did everything I had to do. That strengthens my mind. I know I’m ready for any challenge the UFC can bring.”

Borralho flexed his all-terrain muscles in his most recent appearance when he posted his first submission win since 2019 and put away Michal Oleksiejczuk with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their April 29 pairing at UFC on ESPN 45.

“My coaches and I made some adjustments during that training camp,” he said. “We started working more one on one. We worked on some of my stronger positions and corrected some holes in my game. Thankfully, I managed to sink in the same submission I had practiced repeatedly during my camp.”

It resulted in a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus, which could not have come at a better time for the young Brazilian with a growing family.

“I had been visualizing that moment,” Borralho said. “I wrote it down. I wrote that I would win a bonus and how. I would read it when I woke up and when I went to bed for my entire camp, and it happened. It was great. I was able to honor my coaches—I shared some of the money with them—and I was able to put a down payment to buy my home [in Brazil]. My son was just born. We don’t have to pay rent anymore.”

Borralho now returns to the stage opposite the experienced Magomedov. A short-notice replacement for Nursulton Ruziboev, the Russian owns a 1-1 mark in the UFC. Magomedov last fought at UFC on ESPN 48, where he succumbed to punches from Sean Strickland in the second round of their July 1 encounter.

“We’re using this time to adapt, but the game plan hasn’t changed much,” Borralho said. “The goal is to stay near him. I’ll bring the fight to a medium or short distance, so I can tire him out with my rhythm.”

The bout marks the first time Borralho has competed in his homeland since he linked arms with the UFC. While he welcomes the opportunity, he also recognizes it has little to no bearing on the outcome.

“The truth is that the fans don’t win fights or matches of any sort,” Borralho said. “What matters is what you do in there, whether it’s on a soccer pitch or in the Octagon. What matters is making the right decisions during the fight, being well prepared and having a clear winning strategy in mind. Of course, the fans are a big positive push on fight week and on fight night. It’s an honor to perform in front of my people, in front of Brazil. I’m happy to represent our flag and nation.”

The forward-thinking Borralho has already begun mapping out what lies ahead.

“I plan to stay in good shape and ready since we never know when the UFC may call,” he said. “I plan to win [against Magomedov] and to fight two or three times next year. I’d like to finish this year inside the rankings and finish next year inside the Top 5.”