Caio Borralho outworks Reinier de Ridder to Win UFC 326 Co-main event.
On March 7, 2026, the excitement continued at UFC 326 as Caio Borralho and Reinier de Ridder stepped into the co‑main event in a pivotal middleweight clash at T‑Mobile Arena.
Both fighters entered Las Vegas hungry to rebound after recent setbacks and push their way back toward title contention in the 185‑pound division. Brazilian middleweight, Caio Borralho has steadily built his reputation since earning his UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series. Early in his UFC career, Borralho assembled an impressive seven‑fight win streak. Two of those wins came by early stoppage, including a memorable KO over Paul Craig at UFC 301 .Borralho’s momentum suffered a pause in September 2025, when he faced Nassourdine Imavov in Paris and lost by unanimous decision, marking just the second defeat of his professional career. Despite that loss, Borralho remains a promising force in the middleweight division, and a win over de Ridder would immediately put him back into the conversation for a title run.
De Ridder opened his UFC run with four straight wins, including decisions over former champ Robert Whittaker and a highlight KO of Bo Nickal, quickly earning attention as a contender. De Ridder’s rise hit a bump in October 2025, when he dropped a hard‑fought bout to Brendan Allen by TKO in the fourth round at UFC Vancouver. That loss, the first of his UFC career, came as Oliveira’s own result had slowed his momentum. De Ridder later explained that health issues affected his performance, something that he said it is now behind him. De Ridder knows a win in Las Vegas would not only stop the skid but put him right back into the title picture.
The fight opened with Borralho immediately applying pressure. The Brazilian launched a spinning back kick followed by several heavy low kicks to establish distance. De Ridder answered with a body kick and jab as both fighters tested range early.
Midway through the round, Borralho connected with a powerful right hand that briefly caught de Ridder’s attention. De Ridder responded by shooting for a takedown and eventually managed to bring the fight to the mat late in the round after a clinch exchange along the fence.
Borralho quickly scrambled back to his feet, but de Ridder maintained pressure with knees and grappling attempts until the horn sounded.
The second round started and Borralho came out aggressively in the second round and immediately landed a heavy right hand that appeared to stun de Ridder. Sensing an opportunity, Borralho stepped forward and threw another right as he looked to capitalize.
De Ridder recovered quickly and attempted a double-leg takedown, pressing Borralho against the cage. The Brazilian defended well, reversed position, and eventually broke away to return the fight to striking range.
The round turned tactical in the final minute, with de Ridder landing a few punches while Borralho remained cautious and controlled the distance.
The final round began with Borralho landing another clean right hand followed by a sharp one-two combination. De Ridder attempted a level change but slipped during the attempt, allowing Borralho to secure a takedown.
Borralho briefly worked from top position and looked to advance to mount before de Ridder managed to scramble back to his feet. From there, both fighters traded strikes in the center of the Octagon. De Ridder tried to mount a late comeback with combinations and a head-kick attempt, but Borralho responded with solid counters and body shots. The fight ended with both men exchanging strikes as the final horn sounded.
UFC 326 Main Card
Charles Oliveira def. Max Holloway via unanimous decision (50-45 x3)
Caio Borralho def. Reinier de Ridder via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Raul Rosas Jr. def. Rob Font via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Drew Dober def. Michael Johnson via second-round TKO (1:53)
Gregory Rodrigues def. Brunno Ferreira via first-round KO (1:47)
UFC 326 Prelims
Cody Garbrandt def. Xiao Long via unanimous decision (28-27 x3)
Donte Johnson def. Cody Brundage via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
Alberto Montes def. Ricky Turcios via submission (anaconda choke) (R2, 0:40)
Nyamjargal Tumendemberel def. Cody Durden via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Sumudaerji def. Jesus Aguilar via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Diyar Nurgozhay def. Rafael Tobias via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Rodolfo Bellato def. Luke Fernandez via first-round TKO (2:42)
