UFC middleweight contender Caio Borralho said that a planned matchup at UFC 330 against Joe Pyfer is off due to recovery from an injury.
Borralho is coming off a big win over Reinier de Ridder in his last fight that kept him at No. 4 in the UFC middleweight rankings, bouncing back from a decision loss to top contender Nassourdine Imavov in his fight before that.
The Brazilian has admitted he went into the fight against de Ridder with a rib injury, but he was able to prevail and win. He was hopeful that his rib would be healed up in time to fight again at UFC 330 in August against Pyfer in what would have been an absolutely massive fight at 185 lbs. But according to Borralho, he can’t fight on the card because he recently had to get surgery.
Caio Borralho Out of UFC 330
Taking to his social media to reveal the disappointing news, Borralho said he will not be fighting at UFC 330 against Pyfer. This fight was never made official, but it was heavily rumored and made a lot of sense, as it would have matched up the No. 4 and No. 6 contenders at middleweight. Unfortunately, it’s not happening anymore.
“As you all know, I fractured my rib 2 weeks before the fight against RDR. It all worked out I fought I won and continued to recover. Ribs are basically waiting to “stick” and get back to training. Unfortunately the rib did not stick and the deviation was dangerous having lung puncture and etc so we had to go for surgery. Soon my brother and doctor @drdanielsapatini organized everything and assembled the medical team to perform the surgery. It was a success, and now I have the bionic ribs,” Borralho wrote on his Instagram.
“Unfortunately, the fight at UFC 330 with my buddy @joepyfer will not be happening. hopefully soon to be back doing what i love at @ufc I’m still firm in recovery and physiotherapy, focused on leaving my body 100% and haha I’m back! Appreciate everyone supporting and sending positive energy! Just want to thank @drdanielsapatini for always taking such good care of me! It’s great to have a person who works with you who is really your friend and brother! Thank you.”
Who Will Joe Pyfer Fight at UFC 330 Instead?
With Borralho off the card now, it will be interesting to see who Pyfer fights at UFC 330, as he seems to be a lock for the card, considering it’s a hometown fight for him since he trains in “The City of Brotherly Love.”
One potential opponent could be Brendan Allen, who fights Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Vegas 118. If Allen wins that fight and doesn’t take much damage in it, he could potentially be turned around quickly and fight Pyfer in August.
Another option is Imavov. Although Imavov is waiting for a title shot, the UFC may go with the rematch between new UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland and former champion Khamzat Chimaev instead. If that’s the case, then Imavov may want to stay active, and with Pyfer available, that’s a fight that could potentially happen.
Caio Borralho Says UFC 330 Fight vs. Joe Pyfer is Off