The UFC is in Las Vegas on March 7 for the UFC 326 fight card, streaming on Paramount+. In the main event of UFC 326, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira meet for the second time. Holloway’s symbolic BMF title is on the line for the lightweight bout. In the evening’s co-main event, two highly touted middleweights coming off losses face off in an important 185-pound matchup. In that contest, Caio Borralho faces Reinier de Ridder.
Caio Borralho (17-2-0-1) is the No. 7 UFC middleweight. The 33-year-old Brazilian was on a seven-fight UFC unbeaten streak when he faced Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card in September 2025. That fight ended with Imavov earning a 50-45, 49-46, 49-46 unanimous decision.
Reinier de Ridder (21-3) joined the UFC as a former ONE middleweight and light heavyweight champion. The 35-year-old Dutch competitor went 4-0 under the UFC banner, earning himself a main event matchup against Brendan Allen in October 2025. Allen won that fight via corner stoppage TKO after the fourth round. De Ridder is ranked No. 8 in the UFC’s middleweight division.
Heading into UFC 326 fight week, check out our betting odds, picks and predictions for the UFC 326 main event.
Reinier de Ridder has a lot to make up for following his loss to Brendan Allen, a fight where he quit on the stool before the start of the fifth and final round. For those not following his career before he joined the UFC, De Ridder also failed to answer the bell when he competed under the ONE banner. With that, heart and cardio are the two biggest concerns about De Ridder heading into UFC 326.
Known for his grappling skills, De Ridder went three for seven on his takedown attempts against Allen. He also spent 11:39 of the fight under the control of Allen, who landed 97 strikes to De Ridder’s 61. Allen more or less broke De Ridder. After the fight he said he was focusing too much on a title fight and that “I was not myself, but I will be again. If you know me, you know what I’m coming for. Be nice out there and see you soon.”This fight marks his return to action, and there are a lot of questions about De Ridder’s future to be answered.
While De Ridder is a better-than-average grappler, his offensive and defensive striking need a lot of work, and if he can’t get top control on the mat, he also struggles working from the bottom position.
Caio Borralho faced the biggest test of his UFC career last year when he faced Nassourdine Imavov in what was essentially the first round of a four-fighter tournament to decide the next UFC middleweight title challenger. He failed that test, losing to Imavov by decision. Imavov’s pressure-heavy approach stifled Borralho, preventing him from establishing his offense.
Borralho fights out of a southpaw stance, usually employing a light-footed karate approach on his feet. Borralho has relatively fast hands, and he moves in and out of range with a lot of speed and effectiveness. He does not rush his offense and is comfortable being a patient combatant. If there is a knock against Borralho’s striking, it’s that he is not very active. This hurt him against Imavov, but De Ridder is not the striker that Imavov is. He also keeps his guard low, which is dangerous.
Borralho has good takedowns and takedown defense when he needs them.
The best thing about Borralho is that he has a high fight IQ and can make adjustments in a fight when he needs to, at least up until his Imavov loss. He is not a one-trick pony, but he needs to show that his recent loss was just a blip on the radar.
Borralho is the better all-around fighter in this matchup, and even if De Ridder employs the Imavov approach of pressure on the feet, his striking game has too many holes in it that Borralho and his team can react to and exploit.
The betting pick is that Caio Borralho will beat Reinier de Ridder via decision.
When it comes time to make your UFC picks, you will find that everything you need to know about UFC betting is right here at Vegas Betting. With the UFC’s 2026 calendar heating up, don’t forget to check out the best betting site bonuses.
