Caio Borralho is rumored to face Khamzat Chimaev for the interim middleweight title during International Fight Week—but where does that leave Nassourdine Imavov, the current top contender? According to Daniel Cormier, the French-Dagestani star deserves to be part of the conversation, even suggesting that the UFC should turn the bout into a three-man war for gold. After all, Imavov sits atop the middleweight rankings. But there’s a snag. Imavov isn’t keen on fighting Borralho, claiming there’s “nothing to gain” from it. Well, obviously, that didn’t sit well with the Brazilian. He fired back with three pointed arguments—questioning Imavov’s ambition, spotlight value, and willingness to prove he’s the best.
“He’ll get KO’d. He’ll sleep,” Imavov said of Borralho in his conversation with Championship Rounds. The fighter further added, “Then they’re going to say, ‘It’s normal, he was ranked No. 1, you see.’ That’s their way of managing their careers. Falling forwards, you get it. It’s better to fall forwards than backwards. He comes against the No. 1, gets his a– kicked. Then they’ll say, ‘Well, that’s normal. He’ll recover and come back stronger.’ So, wait your turn. Little by little, you have to be patient in life. People aren’t patient. The key is patience.”
Imavov believes that Caio Borralho should wait for his moment, considering he is currently ranked sixth, while Imavov himself stands at the pinnacle of the middleweight division. The French-Dagestani fight is currently ranked #1 in the middleweight division after his recent victories over Jared Cannonier, Brendan Allen, and Adesanya. Meanwhile, the Brazilian is ranked #6th in the division. So, his words do make sense, right? Well, Borralho might have some other thoughts.
While having a conversation with Submission Radio, Borralho has missed three big wrongs in Imavov’s bold claims: “You lost to a short-notice Strickland. Had an early stoppage against Cannonier. And had a terrible fight with Allen. Stop talking about domination.”
It’s quite true that Imavov has been facing criticism from the MMA community, especially because he’s been fed fighters who are struggling, particularly Cannonier. Imavov has been challenged by the Brazilian, but the Dagestani isn’t keen on accepting the fight, stating that he gains nothing from it. Strategically, he’s right—a defeat against the ‘Fighting Nerd’ sensation would drag him down the rankings while propelling Borralho even further.
As tensions rise in the middleweight division, Dana White is preparing to announce the UFC 317 headliner, which is most likely a middleweight bout—but we’ll have to wait and see who gets a piece of the cake. In the middle of the chaos, Daniel Cormier has put up a case for the Dagestani.
Cormier wants Imavov to be in the discussion between Khamzat Chimaev and Caio Borralho
While having a conversation with his audience on his YouTube channel, Daniel Cormier expressed his dissatisfaction with the rumoured clash between Caio Borralho and Khamzat Chimaev for the interim belt. According to the former dual weight champion, Imavov should be in this conversation considering the fact that he is currently ranked #1st at the heavyweight division, “What about Imavov? I would love to see Caio Borralho fight Khamzat Chimaev,” said Cormier.
January 29, 2025, Riyadh, Riyadh, Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia: Nassourdine Imavov interacts with media during the UFC FN Saudi Arabia: Adesanya vs. Imavov Media Day at Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC on January 29, 2025, in Riyadh, Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia. /PxImages Riyadh Saudi Arabia – ZUMAp175 20250129_zsa_p175_017 Copyright: xDannyxPerezx
He further added, ” I think it would be fun, not for an interim title, but I think it would be fun. But then, what does it do for Imavov, who’s rolling right now? He’s on fire and deserves the opportunity to fight one of those guys. Everything was so clean at 185. This injury mucks it up a little because the champion is now not available to the division. What does it do for him? If I’m Imavov, I’m saying, ‘Listen, I want to be involved. This trifecta becomes a foursome because I need to be involved. I don’t care what you’re doing, whatever you’re doing needs to involve me because I have earned that,” Cormier said.
Nassourdine Imavov has yet to make any statements on these remarks, but he might be thinking about approaching the UFC CEO, Dana White, for a chance at the middleweight title. Given that, who do you think would headline UFC 317? State your opinions in the comments below.
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