Caio Borralho and Yousri Belgaroui are squaring off on the UFC 334 main card this Saturday, November 14, 2026, at Madison Square Garden in New York, and let me tell you, this middleweight clash is one of the toughest fights on the entire card to call.
Borralho’s Output Problem: The Analyst’s Red Flag
Borralho (18-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is rolling into this fight after getting back in the win column with a decision victory over Reinier de Ridder back in March. That win was huge, especially since it came right after Nassourdine Imavov snapped his streak. He is the more well-rounded fighter, and he is saying all the right things leading up to the bout. But here is the catch: MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom points out that “The Fighting Nerds” rep has a history of under-delivering on his output in fights. That is a real concern when you are facing a guy who *finishes* people.
Belgaroui’s Perfect Streak and the Southpaw Dilemma
On the other side, we have got Yousri Belgaroui (11-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC), and get this: he has been absolutely perfect in the UFC so far. Not just perfect, but he has *finished* every single opponent he has faced by strikes. We are talking about Azamat Bekoev, Mansur Abdul-Malik, and Djorden Santos all getting stopped. This guy is an overperformer in the octagon, regularly beating up-and-coming prospects when he is the underdog. So, what is the problem? Tom admits he would probably pick Belgaroui, but there is no meaningful sample of him fighting a southpaw. Without knowing how his jab and low kick game translate in an open-stance affair, the expert feels obliged to go with the more proven product. That is a tough spot!
The Reluctant Pick and The Flipped Odds
So, with all that going on, who is Dan Tom picking? Despite his suspicions that we are going to see a low-output kickboxing match that is hard to score, he is reluctantly taking Borralho to edge out a split-decision win. He suspects Borralho can secure at least one clear round via ground fighting and positional controls. Talk about a reluctant pick! The oddsmakers originally had Belgaroui, the former kickboxer, as the favorite, but the public money has swung things hard in favor of Borralho. FanDuel now lists Borralho at -158 and Belgaroui at +128.
This middleweight attraction is set to walk to the cage at approximately 10:15 p.m. ET, and you can catch it streaming live on Paramount+. Will Borralho’s well-rounded game and ground control be enough to overcome Belgaroui’s perfect UFC finishing streak? Or will Belgaroui prove his southpaw game is just as deadly? Get ready, because UFC 334 is going to be intense!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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