UFC officials are taking no chances with their upcoming PPV headlining title fights at UFC 319 and UFC 320 as they now have back-up fighters installed for each of them.
First up is Caio Borralho, who has claimed that he is the back-up fighter for the middleweight title fight between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in Chicago on August 16th.
Borralho is the 6th ranked contender at 185lbs after winning all seven of his UFC fights to date, and is delighted that he’s been selected for the back-up role ahead of his rival, the No.1 ranked Nassourdine Imavov, who he’s actually currently scheduled to fight just a few weeks later in Paris.
“I told you Imavov is not the guy that makes the rules in his f—-ing room,” Borralho told Real MMA Today. “Now I’m the backup for the fight between Dricus and Chimaev. Because they know I’m the guy that they can call and I can save the f—-ing show. I can go there, being ready, with the will of getting this f—ing belt if this opportunity comes to me.
“… They already tried to book me and Imavov on International Fight Week, and I said yes right away and he said no. So how are they gonna trust this motherf—-er to be a backup?… If this f—-ing fight doesn’t happen, I’m going three weeks after to Paris and I’m gonna f—ing kill this guy and put my name on the No. 1 contender.”
Imavov has since responded to laugh off Borralho’s comments.
“Backup? @BorralhoCaio good only to take my leftovers, you’ll always come after, you’ll always stay behind me. It’s your destiny!” Imavov wrote.
Meanwhile, former 205lb champ Jiri Prochazka has been put in place to be the back-up for the light-heavyweight title rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira at UFC 320 in Las Vegas on October 4th.
Prochazka’s situation is a little different as he’s already scheduled to fight Khalil Rountree Jr on the UFC 320 main card, but now he knows he’ll be the one that’ll get a short-notice title opportunity if either Ankalav or Pereira has to pull out of the bout.
