Caio Borrallo believes a title fight is on the horizon if he can beat his next opponent.
The next middleweight championship bout is already set, with Dorricus du Plessis facing Israel Adesanya for the 185-pound belt at UFC 305 on August 17 in Perth, Australia. Borrallo has long been a bettor on du Plessis, but admits the champion has proven him wrong time and time again. Still, Borrallo expects “Stillnox” to lose the title to Adesanya due to a stylistic disadvantage.
“I always bet on Dorricus, but I always lost,” Borrallo told MMAjunkie.com. “It’s not about the money, but I thought he was going to lose the fight, but he did a great job and won the fight… but I think I’ll be fighting him again this time. I don’t see Adesanya in this fight, stylistically. I think Adesanya can control the distance better and I think he can land a few more kicks, because [his] “His opponents have tried to box him. I think Adesanya is going to kick him a lot, keep him at a distance and circle him. I don’t think he’s going to land good strikes. And I think Adesanya is going to win this fight for sure.”
Besides the title fight, a middleweight title scenario has top contenders Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev scheduled for UFC 308 in October, while Borrallo will headline the promotion’s first card against Jared Cannonier at UFC on ESPN 62 on Aug. 24 at the promotion’s Apex in Las Vegas. “The Natural” believes a decision win over Cannonier would put him on the same level as others at the top of the division, but Borrallo expects a title fight to be waiting soon if he can score a spectacular finish against “The Killa Gorilla.”
“Just winning puts you on par with the top five players. But after winning, [in an extremely impressive way]”If I can knock out Jared Cannonier or finish him on the ground, I think I’ll be the next contender right away. My mantra going into the Paul Craig fight was that I was going to knock out Paul Craig, and I did. And my mantra going into this fight is to show the emergence of a new champion… but you know whatever UFC wants to give me, I’m an employee.”
Borrallo is undefeated in six UFC fights and is most recently coming off a knockout win over Craig in March, while Cannonier is coming off a controversial TKO loss to Nassouddin Imavov in June.
