Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight contender, Nassourdine Imavov, puts his No. 1 ranking on the line against No. 7-ranked Caio Borralho in the main event of UFC Paris this weekend (Sat., Sept. 6, 2025) inside Accor Arena in Paris, France.
Both Imavov and Borralho lobbied to be the official standby for the pay-per-view event, but while Imavov was initially tabbed, he later pulled out of the assignment. That decision opened the door for Borralho to step in, forcing the Brazilian to undergo a grueling weight cut just weeks before his clash with Imavov.
“First, we were supposed to be the backup, and then we said we don’t want to do it anymore,” Imavov told Full Send MMA. “We did it on purpose because we knew that his ego would take the fight, and it would be a bad thing for him. Now, I wonder if he will be 100 percent in the fight or not. I just want the best Caio Borralho. I don’t want any excuses after this fight.”
The big question: Will Borralho show up at full strength, or will Imavov’s tactical gamble pay off? The answer comes Saturday in Paris, where one man could leave with a golden ticket to challenge Chimaev later this year.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Paris fight card, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 3 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
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