Rising UFC middleweight reveals switching from orthodox to southpaw "because of Conor McGregor"

UFC middleweight Caio Borralho recently caught up with UFC announcer Brendan Fitzgerald for an interview, during which the Brazilian credited Conor McGregor for playing an integral role in a change of tactics implemented at the dawn of his professional career.

Speaking to Fitzgerald on an edition of Fitz Nation, Borralho said:

"I was orthodox. Then, I change to southpaw, watching him. Because Conor. Man, I saw him and I said, I need to be southpaw. I need to train southpaw. So, I started training southpaw for years and years. Now, I'm more southpaw than orthodox because of him."

Check out the interview here:

This approach has clearly paid dividends for Borralho, who currently holds a 14-1 record in professional mixed martial arts. It's particularly interesting to note that Borralho is a well-rounded fighter, with four knockouts, four submissions, and six decisions to his name.

Caio Borralho will return to action this weekend as the UFC returns from a small break to stage an event in Sao Paulo. The event is set to take place on November 4 and will see Borralho facing off against Abus Magomedov, who is coming off a loss to Sean Strickland. Borralho is going into the fight on the back of four straight wins since entering the UFC.

Jailton Almeida vs. Derrick Lewis will serve as the main event of UFC Sao Paulo.

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New Conor McGregor training footage shows commitment to improving wrestling and grappling

On October 24, a video of Conor McGregor training wrestling and grappling made the rounds on social media, garnering enough traction to get 'The Notorious' to repost it.

In the video, McGregor can be seen thwarting a takedown attempt and even smoothly securing one himself, as well as top position over his training partner.

Check out the clip here:

Conor McGregor is expected to face Michael Chandler in his return to the UFC next year. Chandler is an accomplished wrestler in his own right, so McGregor may be expecting a wrestling-heavy gameplan from Chandler come fight night.

That being said, Chandler has more often than not resorted to standing and trading with his opponents in order to put on a show for the fans. If Chandler does opt to do that when the two square off, their track records would suggest that McGregor, who is an extremely slick striker, could have the advantage.