"After a weekend without fights, UFC action returns on Saturday when middleweights Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho go head-to-head at Accor Arena in Paris (3 p.m. ET, prelims at noon on ESPN+). Imavov, No. 4 in ESPN's divisional rankings, enters the fight riding a four-fight winning streak. Most recently, he beat former titleholder Israel Adesanya by second-round TKO in February."
"Borralho is the better grappler, and his striking has actually developed into a real threat. An opponent having that versatility is a real problem for Imavov. Imavov does well when he's facing a pure grappler or a pure striker. The fighters who can do both can get him focused on one area and then attack him in the other discipline. I expected Borralho to take Jared Cannonier down to the mat in his last fight, but instead he handled Cannonier well on the feet."
"Imavov starts too slow. If he starts slow against Borralho, he'll let rounds slip away. Borralho will use his feints, good footwork and unpredictability to take rounds and possibly steal any rounds that might be closely scored by the judges. I think Borralho will win by a convincing decision."
UFC returns to action Saturday at Accor Arena in Paris with Nassourdine Imavov facing Caio Borralho, prelims at noon ET and the main card at 3 p.m. Imavov is No. 4 in the division on a four-fight winning streak and most recently stopped Israel Adesanya by second-round TKO. Borralho is No. 6, undefeated in nine UFC fights, and makes his first 2025 appearance; he was the first Fight Nerds gym member to earn a UFC contract in 2021. Analysts predict Borralho to win by decision, citing grappling, improved striking, feints and footwork. The co-main features Mauricio Ruffy versus Benoît Saint Denis.
Read at ESPN.com
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