Middleweight Clash: Two Rising Contenders Collide at UFC Paris

Accor Arena in Paris, France will play host to one of the UFC’s most anticipated middleweight matchups on September 6. The UFC Fight Night event streaming on ESPN+ features a compelling main card headlined by Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho, both top-10 contenders looking to make their mark in the division.

The Contenders Meet in the French Capital

This marks the UFC’s fourth annual visit to Paris. The preliminary card kicks off at noon ET, with the main card beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The venue has been selected to showcase what promises to be an exciting night of combat sports.

Imavov’s Meteoric Rise Through the Middleweight Ranks

Nassourdine Imavov entered the UFC with an impressive 8-2 record in October 2020, defeating Jordan Williams in his debut. The Russian fighter compiled a 3-1 record over his next four outings, establishing himself as a serious competitor.

A turning point came in January 2023 when Imavov was scheduled to face Kelvin Gastelum. When Gastelum withdrew, Sean Strickland stepped in on short notice at light heavyweight. Despite the catchweight disadvantage, Strickland secured a unanimous decision victory.

The 29-year-old rebounded strongly from that setback. In June 2023, Imavov faced Chris Curtis at UFC 289, though the bout ended in a no contest due to an accidental clash of heads. By February, Imavov demonstrated significant improvement, earning a majority decision victory over Roman Dolidze in a UFC Fight Night main event.

June 2024 saw Imavov deliver a breakout performance. In Louisville, he faced former middleweight title challenger Jared Cannonier in a UFC Fight Night main event. After trailing on the scorecards 29-29 heading into round four, Imavov mounted a dramatic comeback. He landed 60 percent of his significant strikes in round two, 65 percent in round three, and an impressive 73 percent in round four before referee Jason Herzog stopped the action in favor of Imavov. Cannonier’s leg kick strategy failed to deter the Russian fighter’s mounting offense.

Imavov then defeated Brendan Allen via unanimous decision in the co-main event of a UFC Fight Night card in Paris. His most impressive victory came in February when he defeated ex-UFC champion Israel Adesanya via TKO, a stunning result that catapulted him to the No. 2 position in the official UFC middleweight rankings.

Borralho: Building Momentum in the Division

Caio Borralho’s path to the UFC differed from his upcoming opponent. The Brazilian fighter appeared on the Dana White Contender Series in September 2021 as an 8-1-0-1 fighter representing the “Fighting Nerds” team. Though he won a decision at middleweight, he didn’t receive a contract that night. Borralho returned to DWCS in October at light heavyweight and earned his UFC deal with a first-round TKO victory.

The 31-year-old made his UFC debut in April 2022 at middleweight, securing a technical decision after landing an illegal knee that ended the fight prematurely. Since then, his competition level has escalated with each outing.

By May 2024, Borralho had developed into a formidable contender, dispatching Paul Craig via second-round knockout. He followed that performance with a decision victory over ex-UFC title challenger Jared Cannonier in his first UFC main event. That five-round battle earned both competitors “Fight of the Night” honors. Borralho currently holds the No. 7 ranking in the middleweight division.

Full UFC Paris Card

Main Card:

• Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho
• Benoît Saint Denis vs. Maurício Ruffy
• Bolaji Oki vs. Mason Jones
• Modestas Bukauskas vs. Paul Craig
• Patrício Pitbull vs. Losene Keita

Preliminary Card:

• William Gomis vs. Robert Ruchała
• Oumar Sy vs. Brendson Ribeiro
• Marcin Tybura vs. Ante Delija
• Rhys McKee vs. Axel Sola
• Sam Patterson vs. Trey Waters
• Brad Tavares vs. Robert Bryczek
• Andreas Gustafsson vs. Rinat Fakhretdinov
• Shauna Bannon vs. Sam Hughes

This middleweight matchup represents a crucial moment for both fighters, with significant ranking implications hanging in the balance.