Elon Musk’s ‘fighting nerd’ story revealed by UFC star Caio Borralho
UFC 185lber and breakout fighter Caio Borralho of Team Fighting Nerds tells the story of Elon Musk donning their iconic glasses.
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Caio Borralho of team 'Fighting Nerds' tells the story of their iconic eyewear and Elon Musk (Source: X)
Caio Borralho is part of the breakout MMA team ‘Fighting Nerds’ that took 2024 by storm. Consequently, the glasses the team carries have been a breakout accessory to, well…tout them as ‘fighting nerds’. UFC 185lber Borralho points out that the glasses serve to bridge two worlds, where the cerebral nerd meets the fighter’s bravado. The shtick with nerd glasses is something even techie giant Elon Musk went viral for.
“The Natural” once explained that it was his coach Pablo Sucupira’s idea to instigate this symbolism. It’s akin to Scouser Paddy Pimblett’s bowl-cut hair. Maybe even his orange Cage Warrior FC-worn “Gracie Hunter” Kazushi Sakuraba’s threads. It’s akin to Team Khabib and their woolen sheepskin Papakha. Beaming with a sense of symbolic pride, Caio Borralho and team carry hundreds of “Fight Nerds” glasses, per the fighter.
Yeah, yeah…everywhere. Everywhere. Every trip that we go, at least one of us brings, you know, …like 100 glasses or 150, something like that. My last one…to Australia, when I went to Australia, I brought with me like 150 glasses you know — people when we do the walk out we throw it at people, and all that people love the glasses you know everybody wants the glasses so it’s fun to have it…
Caio Borralho on “The Ariel Helwani Show” for ‘Uncrowned’ Combat
Musk, with a penchant for the weird and surprising, made the “Fight Nerds” glasses go viral during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York. After the PPV event headliner, even Jon Jones sported the ‘Fighting Nerds’ hardware. Recently, Borralho trained with UFC middleweight peer Sean Strickland, who donned the glasses. As did Ilia Topuria along with the fighter.
That’s what I’m talking about!!! Fighting Nerds glasses!
— Caio Borralho (@BorralhoCaio) November 17, 2024
Caio Borralho says the team brings at least 100 glasses for every trip that they go on.#HelwaniShow pic.twitter.com/Kd8foirFp3
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) February 19, 2025
The idea of fighting nerds goes way beyond mere branding. It’s what prolific industry names like Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, Stipe Miocic, and others brought to fame, sporting innocent eyewear. Nerds, but nerds with gusto and specialists in the fight game. Now, with this new team, it’s accordingly become an organism on its own. Borralho also told Inside Fighting’s Mike Owens on the @overdogspodcast podcast that he even gifted a pair to Musk.
Middleweight Caio Borralho sees Nassourdine Imavov as the logical next opponent to face
Nassourdine Imavov has emerged as the potential title contender for the UFC 185-pound undisputed gold after UFC Saudi Arabia. There’s the actual top contender, Khamzat Chimaev; after the Riyadh UFC Fight Night 250 headliner at ANB Arena, though, Imavov makes a good case.
The Frenchman stunned middleweight longstay and former two-time champ Israel Adesanya with a KO stunner (punches) – in round 2, 0:30 in the main event. Imavov (16-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) is now the talk of the middleweight town and called for a title shot next. However, he told the post-fight scrum that the surging name Caio Borralho would be good too.
Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) of team ‘Fighting Nerds’ is a proper breakout star. He’s fresh off a five-round main event win over Jared Cannonier last August. “Natural” is eyeing this fight as well.
I think Imavov can be a great fight, but I think [Robert] Whittaker can be a great fight, too, …So whoever the UFC decides me to go, I’m ready…If it’s a five-round fight. I think he might get tired with my pace and my rhythm on him…I for sure need to get a little bit aware of his right hand because he comes very fast, and in this sport – the speed and the timing beats everything. So I think we can have two great, close rounds, maybe three, but in the fourth or fifth, I think I can push him.
Caio Borralho to Denis Shkuratov for the ‘Submission Radio’ Show for SBNation Network
Like many, he too had thought Adesanya would win and was in disbelief over the fight-ending sequence at UFC Saudi Arabia. Borralho was in talks for a UFC middleweight scrapper vs. Izzy at UFC 312 this February. However, that never came to be. Subsequently, now, with one big name out of the way, he’s gunning for the next big challenge. He’s hunting that championship ceiling, and fighting Imavov could be it.
Related: UFC Fight Night shows will become PPV level events, but only outside the United States
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