Caio Borralho enters UFC Vegas 58 this Saturday in a familiar spot. Heading into just his second fight in the UFC, he finds himself in his second co-main event. That card placement is not lost on the Brazilian middleweight. He feels it’s a testament to how the UFC believes in him thanks to his style, skills, and ability to speak English.
It’s also not lost on him that he isn’t the first Brazilian middleweight to get such high placement on a card for his first few fights. Although it’s a completely different MMA and UFC landscape in 2022, one that typically mandates a much longer path to the top for newcomers, Borralho loves any comparisons to the man he believes is the greatest of all time.
“Anderson Silva is the GOAT, man. Look at how many defense he had. Look at what he did for the sport. Look at all the guys he beat and look at all the years he went without losing,” Borralho said. “I really love the comparisons, but I’m myself and he’s himself. But being compared to Anderson Silva is a big honor for me.”
Of course Borralho knows that those comparisons are pre-mature. Still, he feels that the early placement at or near the top of the cards means he’s following in the right footsteps.
“Being put in some of the same positions as he was his early career, it makes me feel like I’m on the right path,” he said. “I just need to wins these fights to get this title soon.”
Even though he finds himself on posters early in his UFC career much like his fellow Brazilian middleweight, it wasn’t ‘The Spider’ that Borralho was trying to be like as he entered MMA. Instead, it was another mega-star that was all over the TV at the time.
“I don’t like to emulate Anderson Silva,” he said. “I think one of the guys that I saw the most was Conor McGregor. I think he’s one of the guys who did a lot of things for this sport – what he did was undeniable. I look to him with my style. I became southpaw because of him – I was orthodox.”
Although he has tried to shape parts of his game around Conor, he knows his fight at UFC Vegas 58 may need a different skillset. He steps in this weekend with noted kickboxer Armen Petrosyan. He feels his standup can go toe-to-toe, but he’s also isn’t an idiot.
“I know I can stand and trade punches with anyone in the entire world,” Borralho said. “I’m going to strike with him, make him confident to come forward to me, and then find my takedowns – find my ground game. It’s more intelligent to go where the opponent doesn’t want to go. So I’m not stupid or full of ego.”
Borralho will look to make good on that second co-main spot, this one on ESPN this Saturday.
You can catch the entire audio of this interview at 1:53.
