Caio Borralho issues final prediction for potential Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight, explains how 'Borz's' wrestling "is different"
UFC middleweight Caio Borralho recently appeared on MMA Today and shared his thoughts on 'Borz'.
Borralho, a friend and former training partner of 'Borz', Chimaev's wrestling is unlike anything the middleweight division has ever seen. He touched on Chimaev's training and the mentality he brings to wrestling as a discipline, which he believes isn't something that can be prepared for:
"I think Khamzat's gonna win. I don't see anyone preparing properly for Khamzat. Khamzat doesn't do the normal stuff. He doesn't care if you're gonna bring the best wrestler to take you down because Khamzat doesn't do wrestling. He does MMA wrestling. He does MMA cage work. I think Khamzat's gonna win."
Check out Caio Borralho's thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev's chances against Dricus du Plessis (8:54):
Chimaev's skill set is responsible for his undefeated record of 14-0. It has also led to him being known for his furious starts to fights, including having one of the fastest takedown shots in UFC history. Even the likes of Robert Whittaker and Kamaru Usman failed to stop him.
Whittaker, a former middleweight champion, was run over in round one at UFC 308, tapping to a face crank that capitalized on a preexisting jaw injury. Usman, though, fared far better despite taking the fight on very short notice at UFC 294, where he lost to Chimaev via majority decision in a competitive fight.
Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev was reportedly set to headline UFC 317
While the UFC made no official announcements, Dricus du Plessis was reported by numerous outlets to have been booked to defend his middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 317. However, the matchup has been reportedly axed after the South African was forced to withdraw due to injury.
This has led to reports of Caio Borralho stepping in to face 'Borz' for an interim middleweight belt. Unfortunately, the UFC has not yet commented with a verification or denial of the various reports that abound.