Brazil’s “Fighting Nerds” had a rough night in Paris.
That’s because two of the team’s brightest names — Caio Borralho and Mauricio Ruffy — both fell short on the big stage at UFC Paris last night (Sat., Sept. 6, 2025) inside Accor Arena in Paris, France.
Borralho, the group’s leader, dropped a unanimous decision to top-ranked Middleweight contender Nassourdine Imavov in the main event. And in the co-main, Ruffy’s knockout power never had a chance to shine as Benoit Saint Denis steamrolled him with
relentless wrestling before forcing a tap (watch highlights).
With those results, three of the four core “Fighting Nerds” members have now lost inside the Octagon after an early run of momentum that had fans hyping the Brazilian squad as the UFC’s next breakout gym.
And, of course, the internet piled on. Social media lit up with roasts of the team’s “fall from grace”, drawing comparisons to other gyms that burned hot before cooling off — remember when City Kickboxing was the next big thing?
While both Borralho and Ruffy were extremely confident and seemed to downplay their opponents, context matters. Borralho lost to the No. 1-ranked contender in his division, while Ruffy was handed a brutal stylistic matchup against Saint Denis, a man many once tabbed as a potential future champion. Both defeats sting, but it’s far from fraud status.
That said, the pressure is now squarely on Jean Silva, who headlines next week’s Noche UFC card. A win would put the “Fighting Nerds” back in the spotlight for the right reasons. A loss, however, could send the narrative spiraling further south than UFC Paris.
For complete UFC Paris results and play-by-play, click here.
