Caio Borralho gets 100% real about potentially fighting "friend" Khamzat Chimaev despite having previously trained with him

Caio Borralho (left) could be next in line for Khamzat Chimaev
Caio Borralho (left) could be next in line for Khamzat Chimaev's (right) middleweight title with a win at UFC Paris. [Images courtesy: Getty Images]

While Caio Borralho has trained with the reigning middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev in the past, the Brazilian is not about to let their friendship get in the way of him realizing his UFC title dreams.

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In a sport where many avoid training with contenders from their own weight class to prevent giving away any potential reads, Borralho, for one, has followed an unconventional path.

He has trained with most of the current middleweight cream of the crop, including 'Borz', Sean Strickland, and Paulo Costa. 'The Natural' appears to have even forged a friendship with Chimaev.

During a recent segment on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Borralho explained why he was going to separate friendship and business if he were to fight the Chechen-born Emirati for the title:

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"It's business. It's [about] fulfilling our family."

Furthermore, Borralho confessed that he was intently making notes and getting reads on Chimaev even while helping him during fight camps:

"No, he is my friend. Actually, I was the only one in his training camp who became friends with him, because I knew how to train with him. I knew how to help him. Not just to compete against him and try to show, I'm better than him. At the same time, I'm seeing everything, I'm taking notes. I'm paying attention to everything."
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Check out Caio Borralho's comments on friendship with Khamzat Chimaev below:

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A potential fight between the pair might not be too far away. Many believe the winner of this weekend's UFC Paris headliner between Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov could be next in line for Chimaev's undisputed middleweight title.


When Khamzat Chimaev seemingly made light of a potential Caio Borralho fight

It appears that Khamzat Chimaev has also picked up enough on Caio Borralho from their previous training sessions that 'Borz' doesn't appear to view the Brazilian as a credible threat.

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In a Russian interview, when asked about Borralho's eagerness to step in for Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 amid false injury rumors, Chimaev gave a sly response, seemingly dismissing him as a formidable adversary:

"Caio is a good guy, to be honest. I understand, he wants some hype and some money. Fighting me is a guaranteed $1 million. If he fights someone else, he'll make $200k. So, it's better for him to get beaten up in one fight than to have five different fights. [H/T @MMAHolic1 on YouTube]"

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Edited by Ujwal Jain
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