Caio Borralho

Caio Borralho is the standout of Brazil's celebrated Fighting Nerds gym, and he fights like it: cerebral, technically polished and endlessly adaptable. He climbed the UFC middleweight ladder on a long unbeaten run, solving opponents like puzzles with sharp counter-striking and a strong grappling base.

The wins stacked up against quality names, including former title challenger Jared Cannonier, pushing him into a title eliminator. His first UFC loss came against fellow contender Nassourdine Imavov, but Borralho answered it with a high-profile victory over Reinier de Ridder to reassert his place in the championship mix.

His appeal is the intelligence of his game. Borralho doesn't rely on one flashy weapon so much as out-thinking and out-skilling whoever's across from him, which makes him the smart pick in almost any matchup and a fighter with a real claim to a title shot.