Born: July 7, 1993 (Age: 29) in Eger, Hungary
Division: Featherweight
Height: 5’11”
Reach: 70.5”
Record: 18-1 (9-1 Bellator)
Association:
Sanford MMA
Stage of Career: Prime
Summary: Borics has proven himself as a tough, well-rounded
contender while showing significant improvement during his time in
Bellator. Much of his game is predicated on his sudden and
explosive jumping knee—one of the finest shots of its kind anywhere
in the sport. He has knocked out multiple opponents with it,
including
Aaron Pico,
and consistently hurt a number of others. Borics also possesses a
solid jab with which he scores regularly and throws punches in
bunches with high output, mixing in leg kicks for good measure. On
the ground, excellent Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills have resulted in
six submission wins for the Hungarian. Borics can be taken down by
elite wrestlers, but he has been proficient at getting back to his
feet. However, he can sometimes be too eager to do so, creating
submission opportunities for his opponents. Otherwise, he can be a
ridiculously difficult riddle to solve, with endless cardio, a
determined competitive spirit and stellar intelligence.
STRIKING
• Stance: Orthodox.
• Hand Speed: Slightly above average.
• Jab: A technical, straight and sudden blow with which he
consistently scores, though it does not have any exceptional speed
or power.
• Cross: Average, due to its lack of power.
• Left Hook: Fairly accurate with solid rotation, but it comes out
a little wide, leading to it being slightly telegraphed and
slow.
• Overhand Right: Rarely throws it.
• Uppercuts: Rarely throws them.
• Solitary Striker or Volume Puncher: Favors throwing punches in
bunches.
• Favorite Combinations: Loves doubling and tripling up on the jab,
then throwing either a left hook or right cross after it.
• Leg Kicks: Decent by themselves, but he often throws them naked
at close range and just begs to be countered.
• Body Kicks: Serviceable, with solid speed and technique, but they
lack some power.
• Head Kicks: Rarely throws them.
• Knees: Wields some of the best jumping knees in the sport. They
are insanely fast and powerful, and he throws them with tremendous
accuracy and timing.
• Chains Kicks to Punches: No.
Borics utilizes an interesting standup style, which revolves
around one of the best knee strikes in MMA—a ridiculously dynamic,
powerful and accurate shot that has resulted in multiple knockouts
and staggered many opponents. When he is not throwing it, he looks
fairly technical and sound, a he profits from a nice jab and
through peppering his counterparts with left hooks and leg kicks.
Borics would be even more effective if his right cross did not lack
power. However, he has solid defense and knows when to
retreat.
CLINCH
• Physical Strength: Standard for a featherweight.
• Technique: Decent. He is especially deft at getting the Thai plum
on opponents.
• Knees: Powerful shots that he sets up well with the
aforementioned Thai plum.
• Elbows: Does not throw them.
• Defense Against Knees and Elbows: Good.
Borics does not hunt for takedowns in the clinch, but he has
proven challenging to ground himself due to solid strength and
technique. In the meantime, he has a dangerous knee with which he
will tag opponents.
GRAPPLING
• Wrestling from a Shot: Difficult to say since he never pursues
this avenue, especially at his current level. Given those
variables, it seems safe to assume he does not excel here.
• Wrestling in the Clinch: His judo base lends itself to some nice
trips.
• Takedown Defense: Generally stuffs attempts well, though he was
taken down again and again by Pico, an accomplished and gifted
wrestler.
• Ability to Return to Feet: Excellent. Good hips allow for fluid
and athletic hip escapes, all while showing strong balance. At
other times, he posts up in an agile manner at the first
opportunity and can wall walk nicely.
• Submissions: Adept at taking the back and advancing from there,
as well as transitioning to the backpack position. He can finish
comfortably with a rear-naked choke, as evidenced by the fact that
he has done so twice in Bellator.
• Defense and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the Bottom: Extremely active
off his back while throwing up agile submission attempts, but he
can get impatient and make mistakes.
Darrion
Caldwell took advantage of such a scenario in 2020, handing him
his first defeat via rear-naked choke.
• Top Control: Likely serviceable, but he has not often found
himself on top against opponents who were especially skilled at
getting back to their feet.
• Ground-and-Pound: Throws his weight into meaningful punches,
including shots to the body.
Borics’ grappling plays into his well-roundedness, as he can use
it to defeat opponents with weaknesses on the ground. Only the top
grapplers can exploit him on the mat and perhaps not as much
anymore, as he has undoubtedly worked on this area of his game
since the loss to Caldwell—the lone blemish on an otherwise perfect
amateur and professional resume. Borics boasts excellent Brazilian
jiu-jitsu from the top, excels at taking the back and using
positional dominance to finish with the rear-naked choke and shows
an affinity for the backpack position. From the bottom, he gets to
his feet without much issue by using wall walks or hip escapes.
Borics likes to throw out submission attempts in volume, and his
wrestling skills and ground-and-pound are solid if
unspectacular.
INTANGIBLES
• Athleticism and General Physical Strength: Above average, as
exemplified by his jumping knees and his ability hold his own in
close quarters and on the mat.
• Cardio: Barely slows down despite fighting at a fast pace. He
showed tremendous energy in defeating and outlasting a cardio
machine in
Mads
Burnell over five rounds.
• Chin: Jury remains out, as he has not yet been cracked overly
hard.
• Recuperative Powers: At least up to par.
• Intelligence: The improvement he has shown across his Bellator
tenure is utterly jaw-dropping. Borics is a true martial artist who
is always perfecting his craft.