Caio Borralho: Sean Strickland Poses the Toughest Challenge to Khamzat Chimaev

Caio Borralho, representing Team Fighting Nerds, has expressed his conviction that Sean Strickland holds a greater potential to dethrone UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev than top contender Nassourdine Imavov. This assessment comes despite Imavov's impressive five-fight win streak, which includes a victory over Borralho back in 2025.

During a recent discussion with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Borralho first lauded Strickland's formidable showing at UFC Houston. In that event, the former UFC champion secured a TKO victory over Anthony Hernandez in the third round, thereby reasserting his position in the race for a championship bout.

Borralho Explains Why Strickland is a Better Matchup Against Chimaev Than Imavov

When asked to weigh in on which fighter — Nassourdine Imavov or Sean Strickland — has a better chance of unseating Khamzat Chimaev, Borralho decisively picked the American.

Although "The Sniper" (Imavov) put an end to Borralho’s undefeated streak in the UFC, Borralho still believes his former training partner, "Tarzan" (Strickland), is better suited to face the Chechen-born Emirati fighter. Borralho articulated his reasoning, highlighting what he perceives as Imavov's vulnerability to Chimaev's wrestling:

"I think Imavov is the better striker, I could say faster and all that. I felt that. I already fought with one of them and trained with the other, different styles. But I think that Imavov wouldn’t do so good with Khamzat’s wrestling, you know," Borralho stated. He then contrasted this with Strickland's potential approach: "I don’t know if Strickland could really like wrestle with Khamzat, but I think he could defend a little bit more and make Khamzat a little bit more tired and all that... So, I think your question was if I think he would do better than Imavov. I think so." This indicates Borralho sees Strickland's defensive wrestling and endurance as key factors.

Borralho further asserted that Sean Strickland’s sharp jab, relentless forward pressure, unconventional striking, and his proven ability to dictate the pace of a fight and defend takedowns could collectively present a significant and serious challenge for the reigning UFC middleweight kingpin.

Meanwhile, Borralho himself celebrated a return to winning form just last weekend at UFC 326, where he secured a dominant unanimous decision victory over Reinier de Ridder.

Following his impressive win, "The Natural" was quick to set his sights on former champion Dricus du Plessis. During his post-fight octagon interview, Borralho directly called out du Plessis, proclaiming, "But I have one name in my mind, Joe. Dricus du Plessis, where are you, boy?"