Caio Borralho did not hide his dissatisfaction after Reinier de Ridder asked for a chance at the middleweight belt (up to 83,9kg) right after the victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi , last Saturday (26). The Brazilian, who is scheduled to face Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Paris and aims for a title fight, used his official account on 'X' (formerly Twitter) to rebut his opponent's claim.
"Whittaker slowed down and paid the price. Good win... but asking for the next title shot is delusional, to say the least," wrote Borralho, making it clear that he believes De Ridder shouldn't jump the challenger queue.
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The fight between Reinier de Ridder and Robert Whittaker was balanced and ended in a split decision for the Dutchman. Whittaker started strong, landing precise combinations and even scoring a knockdown in the third round, but the Australian's stamina waned in the final rounds, when De Ridder began to dominate with constant pressure, knees, and control in the clinch.
In numbers, De Ridder applied 169 blows to Whittaker's 100 and maintained more than 9 minutes of control during the fight, between clinch and ground, a decisive factor for the victory.
With the victory, RDR expressed interest in facing the current strongest names in the division: Khamzat Chimaev or Dricus du Plessis , who will fight for the belt at UFC 319.
Good win…but calling the title shot next is at least delusional
— Caio Borralho (@BorralhoCaio) July 26, 2025
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