Caio Borralho Admits He 'Didn’t Feel Like Himself' in Loss to Nassourdine Imavov

For the first time in over a decade, Caio Borralho walked away from the cage on the wrong end of the scorecards. The Brazilian middleweight contender fell to Nassourdine Imavov via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Fight Night 258 on Saturday at Accor Arena in Paris.

Borralho (17-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) acknowledged that something was off from the opening bell.

“I think Nassourdine was just the better man today,” Borralho said in his post-fight interview. “He was very fast, as I was expecting. He did very good in the fight. I couldn’t attack that much. … I just think that I need to find my adrenaline back, I was with no adrenaline or nothing, I couldn’t pick it up into the fight.”

Borralho stressed that the issue wasn’t motivation, but rather the absence of the fire that had carried him to a remarkable 16 fight win streak prior to Saturday.

Taking on One of the Division’s Best

The Brazilian made the conscious choice to strike with Imavov. Who has earned a reputation as one of the sharpest technicians at 185 pounds. “I wanted to make this fight entertaining for the fans and for the UFC, so I tried to strike with one of the best strikers in the world, and that’s what you guys saw: a great war,” Borralho said.

Ultimately, Imavov’s speed and precision carried him to his ninth UFC victory (17-4 overall). Despite the setback, Borralho showed gratitude toward both his opponent and the French fans who packed the arena.

“First of all, I want to say France, thank you so much for having us,” Borralho said. “You guys, I heard that you guys were some of the craziest fans in MMA, and it was right. Thank you for that. Thank you, Nassourdine for the respect, thank you so much.”