Caio Borralho and Sean Strickland didn’t start on the best of notes, although they have become close friends now.
Borralho recently opened up about his first encounter with Strickland, with the two meeting after his first appearance on the Dana White's Contender Series in 2021. Borralho was scheduled to face Xtreme Couture product Aaron Jeffery, a member of Strickland’s team. Borralho remembered a boisterous fighter bellowing from Jeffery’s corner the whole match. Borralho earned a unanimous decision win over Jeffery and publicly called out that cornerman—Strickland—for his antics. Well-known for his brash talk, Strickland owned up and challenged Borralho to a fight in the parking lot.