Imavov calls for Chimaev’s title after UFC main event win over Borralho

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Nassourdine Imavov beats Caio Borralho successful Paris, past issued a rubric situation to UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev.

Published On 7 Sep 2025

Nassourdine Imavov outlasted Caio Borralho successful the main lawsuit of UFC Fight Night successful France, earning a unanimous determination and consolidating his assertion arsenic a imaginable rubric challenger to middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev.

Imavov, warring successful beforehand of his location assemblage astatine Accor Arena successful Paris, secured a 5th consecutive UFC victory, with the 3 judges delivering a wide triumph for the 84kg (185-pound) fighter: 50-45, 49-46, 49-46.

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The Saturday nighttime bout was one-sided, with Imavov (20-4 MMA) controlling the region for the fight’s duration with cleanable boxing and unit volume, not allowing Borralho (17-2 MMA) to find openings, arsenic helium entered the contention with an imposing 62 percent of his wins by either KO/TKO oregon submission.

Imanov, who laid assertion to the UFC middleweight division’s No 2 ranking, was hard connected himself astir not finishing Borralho arsenic helium had planned.

Despite not earning a stoppage victory, helium had 1 connection for Chimaev (15-0 MMA).

“I americium next,” Imavov said arsenic the assemblage erupted during his post-fight speech. “[Borralho] was unbeaten for 10 years. I conscionable bushed him, and bushed him with benignant arsenic well. I request to beryllium the adjacent 1 [to combat for the UFC middleweight title].”

The nonaccomplishment for the No 7-ranked Borralho marked his archetypal wrong the UFC. After the fight, helium acknowledged Imavov arsenic 1 of the toughest opponents of his career.

“Thank you, Nassourdine, for the respect,” Borralho said. “Thank you truthful much… I deliberation Nassourdine was the amended antheral today. He was precise fast, arsenic I was expecting. He did precise bully successful the fight. I couldn’t truly accommodate [my strategy] that much. I wanted to marque this combat entertaining for the fans and the UFC. So, I tried to onslaught with 1 of the champion strikers successful the world, and that’s what you guys saw: a large war.”

In the co-headline fight, lightweight Benoit Saint Denis secured a rear-naked choke implicit Mauricio Ruffy astatine 2:56 of the 2nd round.

Saint Denis (15-3 MMA) got a ample assistance from the hometown assemblage and became the archetypal combatant to taxable Ruffy (12-2 MMA) successful his career.

Ruffy’s nonaccomplishment to Saint Denis snapped a seven-fight winning streak dating backmost to November 2019.