Caio Borralho explains why he wants to face Dricus du Plessis after UFC on ESPN 39 victory

LAS VEGAS – Caio Borralho knows exactly what he wants next.

The Brazilian middleweight prospect called out Dricus du Plessis fresh off his win in the octagon this past Saturday night. Borralho (12-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC defeated Armen Petrosyan by unanimous decision in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 39 at the UFC Apex.

Shortly after the win, he used his post-fight interview to ask for du Plessis. Backstage, speaking with reporters, the 29-year-old explained why he wants that fight.

“It’s a funny story actually, he had a previous fight against Marcus ‘Maluko’ (Perez) and the fight was almost off, and I told my manager to put me in,” Borralho said. “He tried it, but they got du Plessis to fight, and he did what he needed to do.

“I have nothing against that guy, but I know that I can beat him, and he isn’t in the rankings right now, and I want him.”

The win over Petrosyan marked Borralho’s second win in the UFC. He joined the promotion in late 2021 after earning a contract in Dana White’s Contender Series and since had been in two co-main event bouts.

Borralho is pleased with his trajectory and his showing on Saturday evening.

“I’m so happy, man,” Borralho said. “I got the job done and that’s what matters. Like I said to you guys, this is my fourth fight in 10 months. My fourth fight in high-level and domination win, so I feel blessed to have all these guys around me. The champions were here (Deiveson Figueiredo) and Charles ‘Do Bronx’ (Oliveira), so I feel blessed. I’m happy with my performance.”