On Saturday, Sep. 6, the UFC lands back at the Accor Arena in Paris, France, as top middleweight contenders Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho lock horns in hopes of earning a title shot against newly crowned champion Khamzat Chimaev. Imavov is on a four-fight winning streak in the UFC, and Borralho hasn’t lost since his second pro fight over 10 years ago. The co-main event features a battle of tough lightweights as French Special Forces soldier Benoit Saint-Denis takes on Borralho’s Fighting Nerds teammate Mauricio Ruffy. Ruffy stands at 3-0 in the UFC, and Saint-Denis got back in the win column in his last fight, after back-to-back losses. When it comes down to level of competition, it is undeniable that Imavov has faced the tougher tests between the two. His last four fights are victories over Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier, Brendan Allen, and Israel Adesanya. Imavov looks smoother and more comfortable every time he has stepped foot in the octagon and this showed in his last performance. After losing round one, the number two ranked Imavov was able to recover and pull off a stunning TKO over the former champion. In most cases, this performance would have led to a title shot regardless, but the middleweight division is simply too stacked at this point in time. If Imavov is able to get past Borralho in impressive fashion, he will be the most deserving challenger to face Chimaev in his first title defense. My biggest issue with Borralho is the level of competition he has fought. His last four fights are victories over Michael Olekseijczuk, Abusupiyan Magomedov, Paul Craig, and Jared Cannonier. None of these victories scream top tier challenger but he has done his job and defeated every combatant the UFC has put in front of him. There is no doubt that Imavov is the toughest test of Borralho’s career and he will need to be on his A game to get the victory on Saturday. It is pretty interesting how similar these two guys are when you compare them side by side. One inch difference in height, same reach, and a solid mix of victories via knockout, submission, and decision. They have both shown that they can get the job done wherever the fight takes place and are well rounded combatants. Based on his grappling pedigree, I would suspect Borralho has an advantage in that department but he has certainly taken a liking to striking as of late. Regardless, I think this fight takes place on the feet and these two will go to war. They both know they need to make a statement to earn a title shot and playing it safe will simply not fly here. Imavov is the much slicker striker overall and is capable of landing crafty counters and consistent leg kicks. However, Borralho has no fear and will march forward looking to land his own big shots round after round. Despite my love for Borralho, Imavov is my pick. His last victory over Adesanya showed me he has leveled up and is capable of delivering big performances when it matters. Imavov won’t get the finish but he will certainly try too and win a 49-46 decision over the Brazilian.