UFC action returns this Saturday with a main event clash between middleweights Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho at the Accor Arena in Paris. The preliminary card will begin at 12:00 p.m. ET, while the main event is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET.
Imavov, ranked number 4, comes into this fight with a streak of four consecutive victories. His last victory was against former champion Israel Adesanya, whom he defeated by TKO in the second round in February.
On the other hand, Borralho, positioned at number 6, remains undefeated in his nine UFC fights. This will be his first octagon appearance in 2025. Borralho was the first member of the Fight Nerds gym to obtain a UFC contract in 2021.
In the co-main event, Mauricio Ruffy, also from Fight Nerds, will face Benoît Saint Denis.
Analysts and commentators from Alofoke Deportes offer their predictions for this highly anticipated event.Borralho is a better fighter and his striking has become a real threat. The versatility of an opponent like him is a problem for Imavov. Imavov performs well against a pure wrestler or a pure striker. Fighters who can do both can make him focus on one area and then attack him in the other discipline. I expected Borralho to take Jared Cannonier to the ground in his last fight, but instead he handled Cannonier well on his feet. And that’s because he’s preparing for middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, against whom the winner of this fight could fight next. Borralho’s improved striking will be the difference. — Anthony Smith
Imavov starts too slow. If he starts slow against Borralho, he will let the rounds slip away. Borralho will use his feints, his good footwork, and his unpredictability to win rounds and possibly steal any round that the judges might score closely. I think Borralho will win by a convincing decision. — Din Thomas
Betting Analysis
The odds are accurate as of September 4th. To get the most up-to-date odds, visit.
Parker: Over 4.5 rounds (-240). This could be a fight for the number 1 spot in the middleweight division. After opening with almost identical lines for both fighters, the odds have moved in favor of Borralho.
This will be a close fight, but I think the difference will be Borralho’s ground game. Borralho can match Imavov’s striking, and when he starts landing punches, he will open up the fight and the ground game for Borralho to take over. However, considering that neither fighter has been finished in the Octagon, the over 4.5 rounds should be met with relative ease. Even if the fight goes to the ground, Imavov has a good enough submission defense to avoid being finished, but Borralho will have no problem maintaining top position and doing enough damage to secure the rounds.
Parker’s Best Bets for the Rest of the Card
Lightweight: Benoit Saint Denis vs. Mauricio Ruffy
Ruffy to win (-185). Saint Denis faces the promising Ruffy in what should be a fun matchup. If Saint Denis can’t take the fight to the ground, Ruffy will destroy him for three rounds or land a punch to finish the fight.
Money has been pouring into Saint Denis, which has moved Ruffy’s line from near -200 to much more playable odds. Coming from the Fighting Nerds team, Ruffy will be prepared for any attempt at a fight or takedown from Saint Denis.
Light Heavyweight: Modestas Bukauskas vs. Paul Craig
Bukauskas to win by KO/TKO (-125). Craig has suffered three consecutive losses and a no contest due to an illegal kick in his last four fights, so he could use a win against Bukauskas. But unless he can take Bukauskas to his guard on the ground, Craig will probably be knocked out. Craig is a skilled submission specialist, but he hasn’t evolved as a striker. The game plan to beat him has been tested: just keep the fight standing. Expect Bukauskas to follow the model and get the KO victory.
Featherweight: Patricio Pitbull vs. Losene Keita
Keita to win by KO/TKO/decision. This fight is sink or swim for Pitbull, who is facing UFC newcomer Keita. Despite entering this fight after a win over UFC veteran Dan Ige, Pitbull is getting a surprise matchup against a top prospect making his promotional debut. While Pitbull looked good against Ige, Keita is on a different level. Normally, I would stay away from this type of matchup, but Keita is an exciting fighter who can win. He is currently a heavy favorite to defeat Pitbull, so to reduce that number, pick Keita to win by knockout or decision. Clearly, the UFC wants to push Keita quickly, and a win over Pitbull would do that.
