A new middleweight matchup may be gaining momentum after UFC 326, with rising Brazilian contender Caio Borralho making it clear he wants former champion Dricus Du Plessis next.
Fresh off UFC 326, the middleweight title picture has a new point of tension: Caio Borralho is calling for a fight with Dricus Du Plessis, and he is not asking for a cautious, tactical matchup. Borralho said he wants the former champ in June or July and openly framed it as the kind of win that could push him to the doorstep of a title shot. In a division that badly needs a clear pecking order behind the belt, that is a meaningful callout.
Speaking to BJ Penn, Borralho said Du Plessis has been inactive long enough that the timing now makes sense. He also made his intentions clear, saying he is chasing a knockout rather than a slow, point-fighting performance. Borralho acknowledged Du Plessis has an elite chin, but said he sees defensive openings, especially in striking exchanges where he believes his boxing can make the difference.
There is history behind the callout too, even if it has not turned into a full-blown feud. Borralho said he has been trying to get Du Plessis' attention since only his second UFC appearance, claiming he called him out three or four times. According to Borralho, the response back then was essentially to stack more wins first. Now, with eight UFC victories on his résumé, he is presenting this as the moment Du Plessis can no longer ignore him.
For the division, the stakes are obvious. If Borralho beats a former champion, he becomes almost impossible to deny as a top title contender. If Du Plessis wins, he reasserts himself as a central figure at 185 and reminds everyone that his route back to the belt runs through proven contenders, not hype. American MMA fans are likely to buy into this one quickly because it offers a clean style contrast: Borralho's polished boxing and composure against Du Plessis' pressure, durability, and chaos.
Borralho strengthened his case at UFC 326 by defeating Reinier de Ridder via unanimous decision, a result that further established him as one of the division's most credible threats. Now the question is whether the UFC sees the same opportunity and decides to turn a long-running callout into one of the most important middleweight fights of the summer.
