Caio Borralho is a Brazilian promise in the UFC middleweight. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
the night of ufc vegas 96, in August 2024, should be the pinnacle of Caio Borralho. In the first main fight of his career in the company, the Brazilian overcame Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision and established himself as one of the main names in the middleweight division (up to 83,9 kg). The triumph, however, triggered a silent crisis. In a statement to Connect Cast, the athlete confessed that the victory, which he called a 'rebirth', nullified his central purpose: to overcome the fear that had haunted him since childhood.
“I was messed up for a while. About two or three months. You feel like you have no motivation, no reason, no purpose. I had an internal problem. I was always scared and I fought to prove to myself that I wasn’t the same kid anymore. And the fight against Cannonier was a rebirth for Caio. I was ‘close to death’, close to him and I didn’t have any trace of that scared kid. So it seems like the whole reason why I fought was summed up in that fight. It was a rebirth and, for a moment, I found myself without the motivation to continue,” he said. Caio Borralho in an interview with Connect Cast.
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The paradox was cruel. By eliminating the 'scared boy' he carried, the Brazilian plunged into a period of disorientation. For almost 90 days, the fighter wandered without motivation or goals. In the shadows, he adopted habits that he had abandoned years ago: smoking straw cigarettes on the way to training and drinking a bottle of longneck beer every night.
“It was two or three months, almost like a treatment. It was f***ing hard. I went back to smoking straw cigarettes and going to the gym every night. I was drinking a longneck beer every night. You start thinking: 'I'm fine, I'm not really struggling...' and you don't get the truth from yourself, that you're really going through something that needs attention. It was two difficult months. I was looking for answers myself,” explained the Brazilian.
Caio Borralho started smoking again for the 'sensation'
The relapse brought back memories of the past. The habit of smoking, common in his youth at 18 years old during his undergraduate studies at the Federal University of Maranhão, resurfaced as an escape. Even without scheduled fights, Borralho masked the problem with the false premise that he was 'fine'. The reality, according to him, was a psychological conflict that required urgent attention.
“I used to smoke straw cigarettes when I was younger, when I was in college. I was 18, when I started at the Federal University. I stopped smoking here in São Paulo and never smoked again. Then, when I came back, I got addicted to the feeling of relaxing. I could drive well, I was already fine. It was f***ing bad. But now, I'm doing really well. I'm not struggling, but I found a new purpose. New paths, messages and self-knowledge”, he concluded.
At 32, Caio Borralho assures that he is fine. The Brazilian, who has not yet returned to the octagon since then, is ranked sixth in the middleweight rankings (up to 83,9 kg) and is waiting for a new fight. He has been teasing Nassourdine Imavov, who reportedly refused to face him in the UFC.
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