Former two-division ONE champion Reinier de Ridder hinted at an extended absence from competition due to medical issues following his loss to Brendan Allen at UFC Vancouver. But months later, it appears De Ridder has resolved some of his health issues and will return to the Octagon on one of the first cards of 2026, well ahead of schedule.
De Ridder’s shot at a middleweight title hit a speed bump when he shockingly lost to Allen at UFC Vancouver. He defeated the likes of Bo Nickal, Robert Whittaker and Kevin Holland earlier in his promotional run and seemed destined for a title shot.
As De Ridder tries to bounce back from his first UFC loss and recreate the magic that won him two ONE titles, he will have a big mountain to climb in his return at UFC 326.
Reinier de Ridder vs. Caio Borralho in the works for UFC 326 card
MMA journalist Leo Guimaraes reported that De Ridder will face Caio Borralho on the UFC 326 undercard on March 7 in Las Vegas. At the time of writing, the UFC has not yet announced the matchup or a main event for UFC 326.
Borralho returns after his first UFC loss to Nassourdine Imavov, the consensus No. 1 middleweight contender, at UFC Paris in September. The loss ended a 17-fight undefeated streak.
Before the loss to Imavov, Borralho defeated the likes of Abus Magomedov, Jared Cannonier and Paul Craig during his UFC tenure.
De Ridder vs. Borralho is a marquee contender in the UFC’s middleweight division. Champion Khamzat Chimaev is expected to return to the cage in early 2026 to defend his title against Imavov.
The other UFC 326 bout reported this week, also by Guimaraes, is a middleweight bout between Paulo Costa and Brunno Ferreira. The full card is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks, with a formal announcement of the main event looming.
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