Caio Borralho rules out Reinier de Ridder in the 'race' for the belt and lists names ahead of the Dutchman

Caio Borralho is a standout Brazilian in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

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Even after Reinier de Ridder 's victory over former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi last Saturday (26), Caio Borralho was not impressed. In an interview with Submission Radio , the Brazilian dismissed the Dutchman from the current race for the middleweight belt and pointed to other names as more deserving of a title fight.

“It was a very, very close fight. I think Whittaker didn’t do enough to win. De Ridder won, but I don’t think that puts him as an immediate reserve or close to the title shot, not even to face the loser between Dricus (Du Plessis) and (Khamzat) Chimaev,” said Caio. “There are at least three guys ahead of him in the division. Anthony Hernandez , me, Brendan Allen with 12 wins in the middleweight division, Nassourdine Imavov … There are a lot of people,” said the fighter.

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According to Caio Borralho , RDR's recent victories over Bo Nickal and Whittaker are not yet enough to qualify him for the top of the category. The Brazilian even questioned the Australian rival's performance last weekend.

"To be honest, Whittaker wasn't even there. He looked pressured, disconnected. He wasn't the Whittaker we know. So you can't say it was a win against Whittaker at his best," he analyzed. "He (De Ridder) is doing great, finishing fights, he's great on the ground, but he still needs to get past guys in their prime in the top 10. I think he needs at least two more fights," he analyzed.

Reserve in UFC 319 title fight, Caio Borralho has a fight scheduled for September

Undefeated in the UFC, with seven wins in seven fights, Caio Borralho revealed that he was approached by the organization to serve as the official reserve for the title fight between Du Plessis and Chimaev, scheduled for UFC 319 on August 16. The Brazilian, however, returns to the octagon three weeks later, on September 6, in a duel against Nassourdine Imavov , in the main event of UFC Paris.

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