Caio Borralho defeated Reinier de Ridder by unanimous decision (30-27 x3) in the UFC 326 co-main event. The bout took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Borralho (17-2, 1 NC) entered the fight ranked No. 9 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings at 185 pounds. The former middleweight contender suffered his first UFC loss to Nassourdine Imavov, ending a 16-fight winning streak, and looked to re-establish himself in the title conversation.
De Ridder (21-3), ranked No. 8 at 185 pounds, came off a surprising loss to Brendan Allen after his original opponent Anthony Hernandez withdrew. The former ONE Championship two-division titleholder was aiming to regain momentum in the UFC middleweight division.
Round-by-Round Action
Round 1: Borralho opened with spinning body kicks and sharp leg kicks. De Ridder attempted a sloppy takedown early but Borralho avoided it. Both men exchanged strikes, with Borralho landing clean counters. De Ridder grabbed a takedown later, but Borralho worked against the cage and returned to his feet quickly.
Round 2: Borralho continued landing clean punches and strong leg kicks. De Ridder tried takedowns and clinch work but struggled to do significant damage. The round was competitive, with Borralho’s early striking giving him the edge.
Round 3: Both fighters started aggressively. Borralho pushed de Ridder to the mat, working from half guard while landing ground strikes. De Ridder answered with jabs and combos, but Borralho maintained control and scored big strikes to the body and head. The final seconds included a glancing high kick from de Ridder but Borralho held the advantage.
Official Result
Winner: Caio Borralho
Method: Unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Weight Class: Middleweight
Watch the highlights below:
Fighting Nerds are on top! 👏@BorralhoCaio now is tied for the most UFC middleweight wins since 2022 with eight (8) 🤝
[ #UFC326 | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/kvs5cj0Wt2
— UFC (@ufc) March 8, 2026
He has a name on his mind after that win 🧠
[ #UFC326 | @BorralhoCaio | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/qp1duC19Yw
— UFC (@ufc) March 8, 2026
Borralho’s win keeps him in the top 10 middleweight contenders and moves him closer to a potential title shot. De Ridder remains a strong competitor in the division but will need to rebound to regain top contender status.
Borralho’s combination of striking and cage control showed his ability to dominate top-ranked fighters, while de Ridder’s persistence kept the fight competitive until the final bell.
