Caio Borralho on Possible Dricus Du Plessis-Alex Pereira Fight: “‘Poatan’ Would Kill Him”

Count Caio Borralho among those who think Dricus Du Plessis should stay in his lane at 185 pounds.

Right after cornering Bruna Brasil at UFC 312, top-ranked middleweight Borralho, conducted an interview with Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana. There, the top contender broke down what he thought about the champion of his division, Du Plessis, as well as what the future lies for him and the rest of the weight class.

“He doesn’t have a beautiful game but he makes it work,” Borralho said of the champ. “He has heavy hands [and] a strong chin. His biggest quality in my opinion is that even [when] tired, he keeps the same pace. [He is] always very disciplined on his strategy and never leaves a punch without an answer.”

Outside of the top five and looking in courtesy of his latest win, a decision over former title challenger Jared Cannonier, Borralho has his sights on the best middleweight currently offers. Even if he does not want a specific fight for himself yet, “The Natural” has mapped out options for the belt before he gets in line for it.

“Every time I doubt Dricus, he won,” the Brazilian laughed. “So, I think it would depend pretty much about his understanding of [Khamzat] Chimaev’s game. I don’t think so, in my opinion Chimaev would win, but after all I saw Dricus doing, it wouldn't surprise me if [Dricus won instead].”

While a major member of the growing Fighting Nerds gym, Borralho briefly spread his wings to train with light heavyweight kingpin Alex Pereira. After just one week with “Poatan” in Sao Paulo, Borralho knew exactly where he and others stood when tasting some of Pereira’s power firsthand.

“‘Poatan’ would kill him,” the Brazilian said flatly. “‘Poatan’ is really effective on distance control and reach. Dricus makes a lot of mistakes, and against ‘Poatan,’ you cannot commit mistakes. You make a mistake [and] you are dead. I truly think Dricus would be knocked out.”