Rising UFC middleweight contender Caio Borralho claims that talks are ongoing with the promotion regarding a potential showdown with former two-time champion Israel Adesanya.
Adesanya returned to action close to a year on from his defeat to Sean Strickland this past August. After being shockingly unseated from the throne by “Tarzan,” the Nigerian-New Zealander was looking to achieve three-time status at the expense of Dricus Du Plessis.
The pair collided in the main event of UFC 305 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, where the South African champ maintained his grip on the crown at 185 pounds thanks to a fourth-round submission.
“The Last Stylebender” was quick to dismiss any suggestion of a possible retirement in the aftermath, and it appears that his next outing could mark his third straight Down Under.
It was recently announced that UFC 312 will mark the organization’s return to the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney — the venue in which Adesanya lost to Strickland last year. And should Borralho get his wish, the ex-champ will get his chance for redemption in the city opposite him in 2025.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie‘s Mike Bohn, the #5-ranked contender claimed discussions are ongoing with the UFC over sharing the cage with Adesanya at next year’s second pay-per-view.
Borralho sought to explain why the matchup makes sense and also attempted to dismiss rival Nassourdine Imavov’s claim to the next shot at using Adesanya’s name to rise the ranks.
“I want to fight Izzy. We are in talks with UFC, but nothing confirmed yet,” Borralho said. “But that’s the fight we want. I think that’s the fight that makes sense. Adesanya already fought all the guys from (the) top five. Just me and Imavov he didn’t fight, but Imavov didn’t (have) a good fight last time, so I think they’re thinking about me. Let’s see what the UFC wants.”
“The Natural” has had a perfect run in the UFC since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series back in 2021. He’s won all seven of his Octagon outings to date, knocking out Paul Craig and outpointing Jared Cannonier in his 2024 assignments.
Having climbed into title contention, Borralho is certainly due a major fight next time out. And he’s made no secret over which longtime star in the middleweight division he wants to face en route to the gold.
- Read More: VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Pumped Up While Live Reacting To Francis Ngannou’s Dominant MMA Return
