Caio Borralho has plenty of motivation heading into his sixth UFC fight.
The rising middleweight contender returns to the cage Saturday against veteran Paul Craig in the opening bout of the pay-per-view main card of UFC 301 at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Not only will Borralho (15-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) be fighting in his home country and against a ranked opponent, but he will also get a chance to get one for the team.
“I love this matchup because he’s ahead of me in the rankings, that’s all, and he won against great guys from Brazil, including the legend ‘Shogun’ Rua,” Borralho told MMA Fighting and other media at Wednesday’s UFC 301 media day. “It’s going to be awesome to test this guy and prove that I’m capable of fighting this guy and avenging all the Brazilians he fought.”
Craig (17-7-1 MMA, 9-7-1 UFC) has defeated four Brazilians throughout his UFC career, including former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua, who’s considered a legend for Brazilian MMA.
Craig finished all the four Brazilian he defeated, two by TKO and two by submission. Borralho wants to do the same to him and stop him within the three rounds.
“The mistake that people make is that they try to get rid of him, so they give him space to put his feet on their hips and do his techniques,” Borralho said when asked about the matchup. “But when he’s on the ground, I need to pressure him. I need to keep pressuring him all the time.
“If we go to the ground, because he’s going to pull guard, I’m not just going to try to get up. I’m going to pressure, try to make him uncomfortable in his own area, and then I’m going to get rid of him, ask him to get up, and knock him out. That’s my plan.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.
