Caio Borralho returns to the octagon against former champion, says journalist.

Borralho backstage at the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/caioborralho

Caio Borralho, a star of Fighting Nerds and one of the most promising Brazilian MMA fighters, has a date and opponent for his return to the world's most famous octagon. According to journalist Leonardo Guimarães, the fighter from Maranhão is expected to face Reinier De Ridder at UFC 326, which will take place in Las Vegas on March 7th. The middleweight bout (up to 83,9 kg) pits the seventh and eighth ranked fighters in the division against each other.

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Despite having very different careers, both fighters are experiencing similar moments in the world's largest MMA organization. After triumphing in a close fight against Robert Whittaker , the Dutchman suffered a tough blow when he was defeated by Brendan Allen in October of this year. The Brazilian, on the other hand, had the opportunity to become the number one contender in the division when he faced Nassourdine Imavov on French soil, but ended up losing by decision and experiencing his first defeat in the company.

🚨 Caio Borralho will fight Reinier de Ridder at #UFC326 on March 7 🔥

(via @leoguimaraesmma ) pic.twitter.com/judZffN0g7

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 19, 2025

Before his defeat to the Frenchman, Borralho was on a 14-fight winning streak as a professional fighter, nine of which came in the world's largest MMA organization. Among his triumphs, he defeated names like Paul Craig , Abus Magomedov , and Jared Canonnier, as well as Brendan Allen in a submission grappling competition.

Borralho's opponent is a former champion.

Reinier De Ridder was a double champion of ONE Championship. Photo: Reproduction/ONE.

Despite recently suffering his first loss in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), De Ridder's signing with the company was met with much fanfare last year. A black belt in judo and jiu-jitsu, the Dutchman was a two-time champion in One Championship, the biggest event in Asia, between 2020 and 2022.

In the UFC, he defeated four opponents in less than a year, with three of those wins coming by stoppage. Despite coming close to a title shot, his momentum was slowed down after the loss against Allen.

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