Caio Borralho knows firsthand how good Khamzat Chimaev is. Borralho was pretty spot on when he predicted that Khamzat Chimaev would dominate Robert Whittaker on the mat at UFC 308. ‘The Natural’ (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) who emerged as a top middleweight contender after winning against Jared Cannonier in UFC on ESPN 62 has spent time closely training with Chimaev so he knows the latter’s prowess.

However, even though he wanted Chimaev to win against Whittaker, he had a different verdict when it came to a title shot for ‘Borz’. He knows Chimaev’s dangerous training style and fight record but still said he should not get the title shot just yet. But why?

According to ‘The Natural’, Khamzat Chimaev needs to do a little more at 185 lbs before getting the title shot. He said so during a talk with Submission Radio. The middleweight star said, “It’s hard to tell you know, I don’t think he did enough in the division to get the title shot you know, but he.. just the guys updated the rankings… right now he is number 3 so, he got like one more or maybe the next you know like…”

Even though he said that Chimaev needed to do more to get a title shot, Borralho acknowledged the Chechen’s prowess nonetheless.  He said, “Of course, like he deserves this because he is on an 8-fight winning streak, you know? He is doing a great job, you know, he is finishing guys. like, tough guys, really easily, really fast, you know, But I think in the matter of like weight division, I think he needs to prove a little bit more.”

Yet, Borralho thinks that Chimaev should fight some more combatants before the title shot. He was pretty spot on while predicting the outcome of UFC 308 and said that Chimaev’s skills are dangerous especially when they are felt by a combatant rather than when they are seen as a spectator. This is why he was worried about Whittaker’s victory chances.

Even though the 30-year-old showed no rust in his fighting style and won against Whittaker, Borralho wants Chimaev to not get the title shot yet and prove himself a little more in his weight division. But there are voices that emphatically rule that Khamzat indeed should be the next title contender.

One of them is Daniel Cormier. He firmly believes that Khamzat has leapfrogged Sean Strickland for a title bout. “He submitted Robert Whittaker in the first round – first round! Went across the octagon, double-legged him, took him down, choked him, and broke his jaw – broke his jaw! With a squeeze from a rear-naked choke. It was nuts to see him do that to a guy that was the generation before him, was one of the guys. Robert Whittaker for a long time has been one of the guys. When he wasn’t the champion, he was ranked No. 1, or No. 2. Chimaev is ranked No. 12 right now,” Cormier argued on his YouTube channel after the UFC 308.

If that is not enough, then hear it from the champion himself.

Just days back, UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis was asked by TMZ Sports if Khamzat deserves a title shot over Sean Strickland. Here is what he had to say: “He was the first guy to ever submit Rob and he did it in the first round. That warrant jump the gun on Sean Strickland for me and if you ask me, personally, that’s a fight I would rather want because it’s a fight that the people want, it’s a fight that more fans want and I believe Khamzat is the next.” However, there are some definite pain points when it comes to booking Khamzat for a fight.

One of the major concerns with Khamzat is his health. He is not his usual self since a long fight against Covid that kept him away from the Octagon for over a year. It has its effect because Khamzat has been unable to train as hard as he once did without suffering serious illness. The Dagestani was hospitalized in late 2023, and then again in June, leading to the cancelation of his main event in Saudi Arabia.

The event was particularly important for the UFC because it was their first event in Saudi Arabia ever. So, if the promotion can’t rely on Chimaev being available fit and healthy for the fights, they might want to give it a second thought. Another issue that must have given the UFC tense moments in Abu Dhabi was Khamzat’s problem of making weight.

In the penultimate moments of the fight, reports were flowing that Khamzat was having trouble making weight. With just 12 minutes left, a tired “Borz” weighed in at 186 pounds which is the middleweight limit for a non-title fight. Khamzat just moved up to middleweight in 2023. Such struggles does not reflect well on him.

Last but not least, there are some definite issues with Chimaev obtaining travel visas. Right now, Chimaev can’t get a visa to enter America because of his Chechen nationality and Russian passport. With all these, it seems that despite having despite all the talent, Khamzat might have some distance to cover to land in a title bout. Still, Boprralho knows Chimaev’s fighting prowess more intimately than we do and he was concerned for the latter’s overtraining as well.

Caio Borralho highlighted Chimaev’s training method

Borralho praised Chimaev for his work ethic – something he thinks is to his disadvantage at times. He had said to Submission Radio, “I didn’t see any other guy in my life that trains as much as he trains, maybe that’s why sometimes he kills his body and doesn’t make it to the fights. But, definitely, a guy that (out)-trains everyone in the room.”

Borralho spoke about Chimaev’s previous routine which ‘Borz’ had changed before UFC 308. While speaking about his past training routine he said that the Chechen trains a lot and has a ‘brutal’ workout routine. While speaking to Submission Radio he said, “There was a time we did, like, five rounds of sparring, and after sparring was done, he did, like, three or four rounds on pads. And then after that, he did, like, a 30-minute run.”

Borralho has seen Chimaev train and fight very closely and is aware of the skills that the Chechen fighter has. Even though ‘The Natural’ did say that Chimaev needs to fight some more before getting the title shot, he also mentioned how he might face ‘Borz’ one day which is too bad since he considers the latter a friend.

“We spent some time in Sweden with him, training with him for his training camp against Nate Diaz,” Borralho conveyed to Submission Radio. He also mentioned how the 30-year-old is an amazing wrestler. Borralho noted that Chimaev is very meticulous and ferocious while training.

‘The Natural’ guessed how ‘Borz’ might be seeing him as a rival now since he won against Cannonier and is not too far out of the title picture. This is because he did not receive the very common congratulatory message from Chimaev this time which he usually gets from the Chechen.

Borralho made it clear that he wasn’t looking to challenge his former training partner. But, when you become top-dog athletes in the same division, getting matched up is oftentimes inescapable. So do you think Chimaev will get a title shot soon or like Borralho said, he has to fight some more? Share your thoughts in the comments below.