Caio Borralho: The UFC’s ‘Fighting Nerd’ on Brains, Bullying and Breaking Boundaries

Caio Borralho has never quite fit the mould of a typical fighter.

Long before he was headlining UFC events, the 32-year-old Brazilian was standing in front of classrooms teaching mathematics and chemistry, subjects he excelled at as a teenager. Numbers came naturally to him, and so did curiosity, Sport360NG reports.

At his training base in São Paulo, a mural watches over the fighters. Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, Anderson Silva and Minotauro Nogueira all feature, but the most prominent figure is not a fighter at all, it’s Albert Einstein. For Borralho, the scientist represents the intellect and problem-solving approach that he brings to mixed martial arts.

A keen chess enthusiast with more than a thousand online matches under his belt, Borralho has also taken to poker. To him, whether it’s on the board, at the table, or inside the octagon, the principles remain the same.

“It’s all about mind games,” he told BBC Sport. “Observing, reading people, noticing patterns and triggers. That’s exactly how I see fighting too.”

On Saturday, Borralho headlines UFC Paris, where he meets French contender Nassourdine Imavov in the main event. True to their brand, he and his coaches will arrive in their trademark black plastic glasses, lens-less, taped at the bridge, a nod to their team identity: The Fighting Nerds.

From bullied teen to UFC role model

Borralho grew up being mocked for his interests, which he openly describes as “nerdy.” Rather than hide them, he chose to embrace them, co-founding The Fighting Nerds with coach Pablo Sucupira.

“We want to represent love and courage. To encourage people to be themselves,” Borralho said. “If a kid who’s being bullied for being a nerd sees someone in the UFC embracing it and succeeding, that’s powerful.”

The initiative has struck a chord. Parents often approach him to say their children now wear glasses with pride after seeing Borralho’s example. “That means more than winning or losing,” he added. “It’s about the message you leave for the next generation.”

Building a legacy with intelligence

Borralho has made a flawless start to life in the UFC, winning all seven of his fights. He is not the only Fighting Nerd making waves either, teammate Mauricio Ruffy remains unbeaten and faces Benoit Saint-Denis on the same Paris card, while Carlos Prates has surged into contention with a knockout of Geoff Neal and a showdown with Leon Edwards on the horizon.

According to Borralho, the team’s success is down to strategy and composure, not just athleticism.
“Your fight IQ, your ability to stick to tactics under pressure, that’s everything,” he explained. “People only see the physical side, but the mind decides the fight.”

He highlighted his victory over Paul Craig in 2023 as an example. Rather than risk grappling with the Scot on the ground, Borralho forced him to stand, and sealed a knockout win. “It wasn’t ego. It was the smartest way to win.”

Eyes on Imavov, and beyond

Victory over Imavov could propel Borralho towards a middleweight title fight, potentially against Khamzat Chimaev. Yet, his ambitions go beyond the belt.

“I want to be remembered as the most intelligent fighter in UFC history,” Borralho said. “When people talk about fight IQ, they think of Georges St-Pierre, they think of Jon Jones, and I want them to think of Caio Borralho too.”