Top Reasons to Catch UFC Paris

Nassourdine Imavov finds himself near the front of the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight pecking order after a somewhat unexpected surge at 185 pounds.

The 30-year-old former Thunderstrike Fight League champion will look to cement himself as a legitimate title contender when he confronts Caio Borralho in the UFC Fight Night 258 headliner this Saturday at Accor Arena in Paris. Imavov has rattled off four straight victories to improve his record to 8-2 with one no contest across his 11 appearances inside the Octagon. The Venum Training Camp export last saw action at UFC Fight Night 250, where he cut down Israel Adesanya with punches in the second round of their Feb. 1 encounter. Borralho, meanwhile, has even more momentum upon which to draw. The burgeoning Fighting Nerds star enters the cage on the strength of a 14-fight winning streak. Borralho, 32, has not competed since he laid claim to a five-round unanimous decision over Jared Cannonier at UFC on ESPN 62 more than a year ago.

In addition to the high-stakes Imavov-Borralho middleweight showdown, here are three other reasons to catch UFC Fight Night 258:

No Walk in the Park

Mauricio Ruffy figures to have to work a little harder to maintain his upward trajectory in the lightweight division. The ascendant Fighting Nerds standout draws his next assignment in the co-main event, where rugged Frenchman Benoit St. Denis awaits. Ruffy, 29, has strung together seven straight wins, six of them finishes. He last saw action on March 8, when he wiped out ex-King of the Cage champion Bobby Green with a spinning wheel kick in the first round of their UFC 313 encounter. On the other side of the ledger, St. Denis has lost two of his past three bouts. The 29-year-old “God of War” last strapped on the gloves at UFC 315, where he put away Kyle Prepolec with an arm-triangle choke in the second round of their May 10 meeting. St. Denis has earned all 14 of his career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

No Tune-ups Allowed

Patricio Freire once again has his work cut out for him. The four-time Bellator MMA titleholder improved to 1-1 inside the Octagon with a three-round unanimous decision over Dan Ige at UFC 318 on July 19. Freire carries one of the sport’s most extensive resumes, with the Brazilian having defeated A.J. McKee, Michael Chandler, Juan Archuleta, Pat Curran, Georgi Karakhanyan, Emmanuel Sanchez (twice), Daniel Weichel (twice) and Wilson Reis (twice). However, at 38 years of age, his best days are almost certainly behind him. The same cannot be said for the man who now stands in his way: promotional newcomer Losene Keita. A former two-division Oktagon MMA champion, he steps into view with a 16-1 record and the wind of a five-fight winning streak at his back. Keita, 27, trains out of the Lamiro Fight Club in Belgium.

Catering to the Bloodthirsty

Violence seekers should have cause for celebration on the undercard, where Andreas Gustafsson takes on Rinat Fakhretdinov in a compelling three-round welterweight prelim. The two men have 27 recorded finishes in 35 victories between them. Gustafsson, 34, arrived in the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series a little more than a year ago. The Swede made his organizational debut with a three-round unanimous decision over Kalinn Williams at UFC 316 on June 7, extending his current winning streak to four fights. Fakhretdinov, meanwhile, has not tasted defeat in more than a decade. The 33-year-old American Top Team-trained Russian last suited up on Oct. 26, when he was awarded a widely panned unanimous decision over Carlos Leal at UFC 308.