Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Nassourdine Imavov puts his No. 1 ranking on the line against No. 7-seeded Caio Borralho in the main event of UFC Paris this Saturday (Sept. 6, 2025) inside Accor Arena in Paris, France.
The fight carries massive implications, as the winner could be next in line to challenge newly crowned champion
Khamzat Chimaev, provided the performance excites fans and the UFC brass alike.Imavov, fighting in front of his home crowd, will look to leverage his timing,
precision striking, and knockout power. However, Borralho brings a dangerous southpaw style and consistent pressure, making him a tricky puzzle for any opponent.
Former Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who was last defeated by Imavov (watch highlights), is backing the Brazilian in the matchup.
“I’m going Caio in this fight and I’m going to by decision,” Adesanya said on his YouTube. “Standup-wise, I’ll give the edge to Caio. I like the way he strikes, I like the way he positions himself as a southpaw because he always has his foot in the right place. He attacks well on the rear side — left hand, left leg. He has good feints as well.”
“For Imavov, he has great timing, like when to attack. If he can catch Caio when he’s being lackadaisical, later in the fight, or like he caught me while he’s shifting…Or while he’s coming in, because Imavov has this thing where he ducks in and then just shoots the right hand like a shovel punch. They are fighting in France as well, so there’s a home court advantage — oooh. I don’t know how that’s going to play with Nassourdine, but I don’t think it’s going to impact him negatively or positively.”
“It’s a well-matched fight,” Adesanya concluded. “But I think it’s going to be edged out by Caio.”
Imavov enters this bout with momentum, but Borralho has been on a noticeable rise, climbing the ranks with a mix of striking and grappling that has made him a serious contender. Both fighters are technically sharp and capable of finishing the fight, setting the stage for an intriguing clash that could shape the division’s pecking order for the next few months
As of this writing, Borralho is a -130 favorite.
For the complete UFC Paris fight card, click here.
