Borralho Travels to Johannesburg to Call Out Du Plessis as Ex-Champ Offers Gym Spar

The standoff highlights both fighters’ push for relevance in a crowded middleweight race without a signed bout.

Overview

Caio Borralho flew to Johannesburg and posted videos calling out former champion Dricus Du Plessis, prompting Du Plessis to invite him to spar at CIT Performance Institute with cameras rolling.
Borralho pushed for a sanctioned UFC fight instead and told Du Plessis to sign a contract, which Du Plessis rejected by saying no contract had been sent and by challenging him to show up at the gym.
There is no official matchup between them, and Du Plessis has not fought since losing the middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev by unanimous decision at UFC 319 in August 2025.
Borralho, ranked No. 5 at middleweight, is seeking a marquee opponent to move toward a title shot, using travel and public callouts to pressure a booking when formal matchmaking stalls.
A recorded gym spar would be unofficial and would not affect rankings or records, so any real shift in the title picture still hinges on the UFC scheduling an approved bout.