Madness at Middleweight: Four Contenders Compete for One Title Shot

The past few days have not only seen a changing of hands with the Middleweight Title, but also the announcement of another high-level battle at the same weight class. Reinier de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez is shaping up to be a grappler’s delight. Not only does this match have title implications, but it’s competing with Caio Borralho vs. Nassourdine Imavov early next month for the same stakes. All four combatants believe they should be the next to grasp at gold. Each one has their claim to the throne. They’re not just fighting to win; they’re competing to see which winner has the better showing. Which victor deserves this shot more than the other? What we may see in the next two months could be the greatest display of Middleweight MMA in recent history. What better time to break down these two matches and their respective fighters?

Borralho and Imavov have been at each other’s throats for a while at this point. The former number one contender, Imavov, is riding a four-fight win streak with his most recent loss coming from the previous champion, Sean Strickland, over two years ago. The French fighter is no stranger to a scrap; two of his last four wins came by TKO, and despite his style’s apparent focus on wrestling, he has never been afraid to hunt for a finish. His eagerness to excel brought him to the single digits of the Middleweight rankings. Unfortunately, that has also brought him into collision with the fan-dubbed leader of The Fighting Nerds, Caio “The Natural” Borralho. Despite the antics of the much-loved Fighting Nerds, Caio has proved to be no nonsense inside the cage. His punches are heavy, his submissions are strangling, and the cardio he performs is undeniable. It’s hard to deny the will that this Brazilian native exudes as he surpasses even the highest expectations placed upon him. Both fighters have outstruck some of the best in their division as well as controlled those same men on the ground/clinch. The way I see it, this fight has the possibility of being all-terrain. We may see an impressive struggle of positional control as both men scramble over each other as they choke, crank, and hook any limb they can grab a hold of as they hunt for a submission. At the same time, these two warriors may choose to duke it out, feet planted in the center of the octagon, as they try to secure a walk-off knockout and tear title contention away from their peers. My bet is on the latter.

Now, while Borralho and Imavov may be fighting sooner, it should not in any way take away from the masterclass that de Ridder vs. Hernandez has the chance of being. Hernandez is currently on an eight-fight win streak, making him the only Middleweight to have such a streak and not secure a title shot. His moment has been a long time coming, but de Ridder is on the rise as well. With three consecutive wins over fan favorites in the way of Kevin Holland, Bo Nickal, and Robert Whittaker, the Dutch martial artist has made a big splash in the UFC pool after switching from the tepid waters of ONE Championship. Unorthodox, abnormal, and all around confusing, de Ridder has made his way to the top in a similar way that former champ, Dricus Du Plessis, did. Being weird. There doesn’t seem to be a guidebook on how to fight a man like de Ridder or Du Plessis. Fighters tend to rely on patterns and habits. As far as I and many other analysts in the space can tell, neither man has one. They do what works, relying on their technique only as far as it can take them; past that, it’s all grit, ingenuity, and pure, unadulterated creativity. Hernandez is a phenomenal wrestler and can take a beating, much like the man who dethroned Dricus, Khamzat Chimaev. A fighter like Hernandez might be the only thing that can stop the unusual machinations of de Ridder. I can see this going all five rounds and being a brutal, exhausting undertaking. With that being said, I’m taking Anthony Hernandez by unanimous decision. Between Hernandez and Borralho, I believe Borralho will secure the title shot. His style has lent itself to be flashier and more eye-catching than the other three, but I’m willing to be proved wrong. These next two months will no doubt be some of the most interesting at 185 lbs. I, for one, am excited to see what goes down.