Jun 1, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Sean Strickland (red gloves)celebrates defeating Paulo Costa (blue gloves) during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

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Sean Strickland Claims He And Caio Borralho Passed On Fighting Each Other

Sean Strickland reveals both him and Caio Borralho refuse to fight each other when offered by the UFC matchmakers!

Jun 1, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Sean Strickland (red gloves)celebrates defeating Paulo Costa (blue gloves) during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout UFC history, fans have seen teammates clash, training partners battle, and even close friends trade leather for a paycheck. The sport demands that personal relationships take a backseat to career advancement and championship dreams. But sometimes fighters draw a line in the sand and refuse to cross it no matter what the UFC offers them. Sean Strickland finds himself in exactly this situation after his recent loss to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312.

The outspoken former middleweight champion needs a big win to stay relevant in the title picture. The UFC matchmakers have been busy trying to find him the right opponent. Strickland wanted to fight Reinier de Ridder, the former ONE Championship double champion who’s making waves in the UFC’s middleweight division. But de Ridder got matched up with Robert Whittaker instead, leaving Strickland scrambling for options.

That’s when UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard came calling with an offer that seemed perfect on paper but felt all wrong in reality. The proposed fight was against Caio Borralho, a rising Brazilian contender who has been making noise in the division. On paper, it made perfect sense: two top contenders, both needing a win, both available. But sometimes the best fights on paper are the worst fights in real life.

Sean Strickland Reveals Mutually Turning Down Caio Borralho Fight

In a recent stream with Adin Ross, Strickland revealed the uncomfortable reality behind turning down the Borralho fight. He knows Caio personally, along with his wife and family, which makes the whole situation incredibly awkward. As Strickland put it, how do you trash talk someone during press conferences when you’re asking about their baby’s birthday?

“So they offered me a fight with one of my friends, and we both kinda collectively said ‘No.’ It was Caio [Borralho]. Those fights are hard man. I mean you got a wife, you got a kid, who i personally know and i like.”

🚨Sean Strickland revealed that the UFC offered him a fight against Caio Borralho, and they both collectively said no.

"UFC offered me a fight against one of my friends
[ Borralho ] and we both kind of collectively said no…

He has a wife and a kid, who I personally know, whom… pic.twitter.com/lp5NPPWtIU
— MMA Pros Pick (@MMA_PROS_PICK_) May 31, 2025

This isn’t the first time personal relationships have complicated UFC matchmaking. Usually, one guy is willing to put friendship aside for career advancement while the other feels betrayed. Here, both Strickland and Borralho apparently looked at the offer and refused to fight. Strickland’s honesty about the situation shows a different side of the usually controversial fighter. Sure, he will talk trash about strangers and start X wars with random people, but he draws the line at potentially hurting someone he genuinely cares about.

(Image Credit: Joe Camporeale – Imagn Images)

Caio Borralho

Sean Strickland

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!