Caio Borralho shares theory on why he isn’t fighting Israel Adesanya at UFC Saudi Arabia
Caio Borralho wanted to share the Octagon with Israel Adesanya in early 2025, but he thinks he knows why that will have to wait.
Adesanya will be taking on Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card in Saudi Arabia. The bout will be taking place on February 1st. It’ll be Adesanya’s first fight off pay-per-view since 2018.
Borralho has been pounding the table for a fight with “The Last Stylebender,” but it wasn’t meant to be, for now.
Caio Borralho Thinks Israel Adesanya Took Favorable Matchup
Caio Borralho recently took to the “Overdogs Podcast” to express his belief that Israel Adesanya saw Nassourdine Imavov as an easier opponent and chose to fight him (h/t MMAJunkie).
“I think the UFC offered Izzy two fights: me or Imavov,” Borralho said on the “Overdogs Podcast.” “And then, he suddenly posted a clip studying Imavov’s tape, and I was like, ‘Come on, bro.’ I sent a message to Izzy, and was like, ‘Bro, why you choosing that?’
“He was like, ‘Bro, we’re going to fight next year. We’re going to dance next year for the belt.’ It’s OK, I respect you if you choose that. I think he chose right. I think Imavov is a better fight for him, and I think Izzy is the favorite in this fight.”
In a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, Adesanya said that Imavov was the only name offered to him for UFC Saudi Arabia. He did acknowledge the DMs with Borralho and insisted the two will share the Octagon one day.
For now, “Izzy” must keep his focus on the task at hand. Adesanya has suffered back-to-back losses and he hasn’t emerged victorious since his knockout win over Alex Pereira back in April 2023. He’ll look to avoid a third loss in a row and prove he’s still got plenty left in the tank.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
Topics:
Caio Borralho Israel Adesanya UFC
