Caio Borralho vows ‘comeback season’ as de Ridder returns, fitness unresolved
Saturday at 3: 00 p. m. ET, caio borralho enters UFC 326’s co-main event against Reinier de Ridder in Las Vegas with a clear message: The Fighting Nerds are in “comeback season. ” What remains unresolved is de Ridder’s in-cage stamina after a documented bout of severe anemia; the matchup itself will supply the answer.
Reinier de Ridder’s anemia after UFC Vancouver and the rapid return
Reinier de Ridder, a former two-division champion in ONE, experienced serious medical issues after UFC Vancouver, where Brendan All stopped him in October. Speaking during UFC 326 Media Day, he said fighting five times in 11 months left “bloodwork…in the trash, ” highlighting “severe anemia, very, very low red blood cell count. ” He described weeks when he could not complete training sessions or even walk up stairs without getting tired, and admitted he briefly feared, “It might be over. ”
He now says treatment has him back on track and he returns in the UFC 326 co-main event against Caio Borralho. Still, while de Ridder’s camp indicates the problems appear resolved, the real measure—how his gas tank holds up under live pressure—remains unconfirmed as of 3: 00 p. m. ET. If the prior early fatigue was purely medical and now corrected, that should show up in his ability to sustain pace beyond the opening exchanges.
Caio Borralho’s ‘comeback season’ vow and Fighting Nerds dynamics
For caio borralho, Saturday is framed as a rebound opportunity after a unanimous decision loss to Nassourdine Imavov in September 2025. He remains near the top of the middleweight ranks, and a win over de Ridder could move him closer to a top-five spot—placement that is not officially determined as of 3: 00 p. m. ET. On Wednesday’s UFC 326 media day, he set a firm tone for his team: “It’s the comeback season, and nobody is going to stop that. ”
Borralho said The Fighting Nerds “got the connection back” and “put our feet on the ground a little more, ” emphasizing he was the first from the camp to reach the UFC and intends to be “the last one to complete the comeback season. ” Carlos Prates, Jean Silva, and Mauricio Ruffy have already secured bounce-back results. Yet, underlying tension between Silva and Ruffy over splitting time with another gym remains a live factor around the team, and its impact on ongoing cohesion is unconfirmed as of 3: 00 p. m. ET. Borralho has been trying to bring the two together, positioning Saturday as proof of the group’s renewed alignment.
UFC 326 co-main in Las Vegas will test form, rankings, and recovery
The most direct clarifier arrives inside the Octagon in Las Vegas on Saturday night (ET timing not listed in the provided materials). For de Ridder, observers will watch for sustained output past the early minutes after the post-Vancouver anemia he detailed. He noted he would likely have made the same schedule choice again because the opportunity was “too cool, ” but that calculus meets a fresh test now that he says treatment has taken hold.
For Caio Borralho, the bout measures how fully his “comeback season” vision translates against a former multi-division titleholder coming off a health-compromised performance. The team storyline surrounding The Fighting Nerds—rebounds by Prates, Silva, and Ruffy, plus efforts to smooth internal friction—adds a second lens for evaluating the pledge that “nobody is going to stop that. ” Whether that momentum manifests in actual sequence-winning tactics and round control remains unconfirmed as of 3: 00 p. m. ET.
The middleweight picture introduces a ranking angle as well. Borralho “could” move closer to the top five with a win, a trajectory suggested ahead of UFC 326 but not settled until rankings are updated. De Ridder, who once wondered if his career “might never” recover, would have a compelling on-the-record rebuttal to those doubts if he withstands the pace and imposes his style through multiple rounds.
The final variable is the fight’s immediate narrative stakes. If de Ridder’s cardio holds and he shows the form that produced four UFC wins in 2024, post-Vancouver concerns will narrow significantly. If he fades under pressure, the anemia he discussed—while treated—will remain a storyline for subsequent matchmaking discussions. Borralho, meanwhile, has tied his individual rebound to a broader locker-room resurgence, making this a performance test of both personal and team claims.
The confirmed next step is the UFC 326 co-main event between Caio Borralho and Reinier de Ridder on Saturday in Las Vegas; a specific ET start time was not listed in the provided materials as of 3: 00 p. m. ET. If Borralho wins, he could move closer to a top-five ranking in the division in 2026.
