UFC Paris gets high-profile main event fight with massive title implications

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 12:52 PM ET

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UFC Paris officially has its headlining bout, and the winner could potentially be the next challenger for the promotion’s middleweight title.

Following the UFC’s debut event there in 2022, Paris, France has become a staple of the UFC’s international calendar and has hosted a card each year since Ciryl Gane bested Tai Tuivasa in a “Fight of the Night”-winning main event at the Accor Arena.

The world’s leading MMA promotion returns to Paris again on September 6, and the card will officially be headlined by two of the very best middleweight fighters on the UFC roster.

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Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho Headlines UFC Paris

Following plenty of back-and-forth between the two men in recent months, Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho will finally meet in the Octagon as the main event for UFC Paris.

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Currently the UFC’s #1-ranked middleweight contender, France’s Imavov is on a four-fight win streak that most recently saw “The Sniper” knock out two-time UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia in February.

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Borralho sits several spots below Imavov in the rankings at #6 but boasts an undefeated record since joining the UFC off of Dana White’s Contender Series , and the Brazilian is coming off a dominant showing in his first UFC Fight Night main event against Jared Cannonier last August.

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UFC Paris Winner Could Challenge For Middleweight Gold

The UFC Paris main event could very well decide the promotion’s next middleweight title challenger, and the timing couldn’t be better as Khamzat Chimaev prepares to challenge Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319.

Set to take place at Chicago’s United Center less than a month before Imavov and Borralho meet at UFC Paris, UFC 319 is topped by a highly-anticipated middleweight title fight that will see du Plessis try to defend his belt for a third time.

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“Stillknocks” is a perfect 9-0 in the UFC since joining the promotion in 2020, and after claiming the middleweight belt from Sean Strickland at UFC 297 the South African defended it against Adesanya before he bested Strickland once again in their rematch in February.

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The #3-ranked Chimaev brought his professional record to 14-0 with wins over former UFC titleholders Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker in his last two outings, and whichever man holds the middleweight belt after UFC 319 will likely watch the UFC Paris main event with a considerable amount of interest.