Kevin Borjas delivered a major upset at UFC Fight Night 279, defeating previously unbeaten Andre Lima in the prelims closer at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
Lima entered the bout as more than a 6-1 betting favorite, but Borjas, who accepted the matchup on short notice and missed weight by three pounds in his first career weight miss, came away with the win.
"The team got together and we called this Operation Lazarus because we really did rise from the dead. That's how people saw me – they took me for dead," Borjas said after the fight.
Borjas, who had losses in four of his first five UFC bouts after graduating from DWCS in 2023, framed the victory as part of a larger turnaround. "But you evolve, you mature, you train, you get better, and that's what we did as a team. I surrounded myself with people that believe in me, people that wanted to make this work. Trust yourself. When people say things, don't believe them – stick to the people who are going to help you out. This is what we were able to do and again, I have an opportunity to rewrite my history."
He also emphasized his willingness to face Lima when others would not. "No one accepted fights against (Lima), and I will take on those fights," Borjas said, adding, "I want to rewrite my history in this organization. That's what I'm here for."
