Much like the ever-spinning Earth, the UFC landscape never stops moving—especially when it comes to high-stakes matchmaking. At the start of this week, all signs pointed to a blockbuster middleweight title showdown at UFC 317, with Dricus du Plessis set to face off against Khamzat Chimaev during International Fight Week. But in classic MMA fashion, plans changed in an instant.

News broke yesterday that du Plessis had pulled out of the rumored bout, throwing a wrench into what many saw as a marquee matchup. But the drama didn’t end there. Enter Caio Borralho. The #6 ranked middleweight didn’t waste time, jumping on social media to throw his name into the mix as a replacement. With the momentum behind him, ‘The Natural’ pitched a showdown with Khamzat Chimaev for the interim title—and as of today, he claims it’s a done deal. “Khamzat said yes! The only thing that makes sense is the interim belt,” Borralho announced on X.

Confident and unfazed, the Brazilian even suggested that his clash with ‘Borz’ would be “bigger” than the original fight against du Plessis. While UFC President Dana White and his team have yet to make anything official, the potential for fireworks is undeniable.

Turning up the heat, Khamzat Chimaev took to Instagram Story to share an old, embarrassing photo of Caio Borralho—snapped during one of their past sparring sessions, with ‘Borz’ clearly in a dominant position. A pointed message accompanied the post, making it clear that if this fight comes to life, it won’t just be about belts or rankings—it’ll be personal.

It’s rare for two fighters from the same weight class to train together, but that line was crossed back in 2022. Caio Borralho made the long trip from Brazil to Sweden to train with the then-rising Khamzat  Chimaev, who was preparing for a showdown with Nate Diaz—a fight that eventually fell apart after the chechnya export missed weight.

Still, those training sessions gave the Brazilian a rare, firsthand look at “Borz” in action. And now, with a potential clash on the horizon, the self-proclaimed “Fighting Nerd” believes he’s cracked the code—and might just be the man to hand Chimaev his first loss.

Has Caio Borralho “studied” Khamzat Chimaev enough to defeat him?

“Khamzat is kind of in the position where he might deserve the title shot, but he might not. I think he needs to fight one more guy in the division,” Caio Borralho said earlier this month on Submission Radio. As it turns out, the Brazilian may have spoken the truth before anyone realized it—predicting the very scenario that unfolded with Khamzat Chimaev needing one more bout before earning a shot at the belt. Now, the real question looms: Is ‘The Natural’ the man to finally stop the undefeated ‘Borz’? On paper, Chimaev’s list of opponents is undeniably more seasoned than Borralho’s.

Yet, the Brazilian insists that the time they spent training together—five weeks, across two continents—gave him valuable insight. Speaking on the ‘Jaxxon Podcast’, ‘The Natural,’ said, “I trained with him for like five weeks—first in Sweden, then later in Las Vegas… So I kind of know a little about his system—what he wants to do next, and what he wants the other guy to do next, so he can advance in his system. I think I have the advantage because I studied a lot of this. I was helping him, sure—but I was also paying attention to everything.”

So, what’s your take on a potential interim middleweight title clash between Caio Borralho and Khamzat Chimaev? Has ‘The Natural’ earned his shot, or should someone like Nassourdine Imavov—fresh off a statement win over Israel Adesanya—be next in line? Let us know your thoughts below.