Reinier de Ridder will face Caio Borralho in the UFC 326 co-main event this weekend at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, a match that could boost the Dutch fighter’s standing in the middleweight title race. Prior to this, de Ridder’s rise in 2023 was interrupted by a draining loss to Brendan Allen, partly caused by serious health problems that he recently disclosed.
Struggles Leading up to the Brendan Allen Bout
Before his fight with Brendan Allen in October, Reinier de Ridder appeared to be on the verge of dominating the middleweight division after a split decision victory over former champion Robert Whittaker in July. However, during the Allen fight, de Ridder struggled unusually with stamina and became extremely fatigued as the rounds progressed.
By the fourth round, de Ridder was too exhausted to continue, resulting in a TKO victory for Allen. Later, de Ridder revealed that severe health complications had impacted his training camp and performance far more than was initially understood.
Health Complications Impacted Training and Performance
De Ridder explained that his condition during the lead-up to the Brendan Allen fight was alarming, affecting even simple daily activities. He recounted moments when climbing stairs became a tremendous challenge, casting doubts on his future in MMA.
“Just on all levels, my blood work, everything was trash, everything was bad. But, mostly standing out [were] severe anemia, very, very low red blood cell count, just worked my body to s**t.”
?Reinier de Ridder, UFC fighter
Despite the frustrating nature of his health issues, de Ridder found some relief in having a diagnosis and a path forward. Identifying the cause gave him hope to recover and return to form, although the journey was anything but easy.
“Mostly, at least I knew what was wrong with me at that point. I was very happy with that. Like, I had something to work from. But it took a long time to find my body back, to get everything started, to get the right treatment, and to find everything out. That wasn’t easy. There were a couple of weeks there when I couldn’t really complete a training session, and I couldn’t walk up the stairs without being tired. So there was a little while there, I was thinking, ‘I might never fix this stuff, it might be over.'”
?Reinier de Ridder, UFC fighter
Future Prospects and the Path Ahead
De Ridder’s struggles add a layer of complexity to his career trajectory. As a former two-division ONE Championship titleholder and now a 4-1 competitor in the UFC, many regard him as a serious contender who could challenge Khamzat Chimaev’s dominance in the middleweight division. His ability to overcome serious health adversities and perform at a high level will be critical as he progresses in the sport.
Saturday’s fight against Caio Borralho represents a significant opportunity for de Ridder to regain momentum and confirm his place among the elite middleweights. How he performs may influence whether he becomes a top challenger for the UFC middleweight championship in the near future.
#UFC326's Reiner de Ridder opens up on the health scare he experienced in his loss to Brendan Allen:
"Severe anemia, very low red blood cell count. Worked my body to sh*t basically." pic.twitter.com/OjN78KKiL2
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) March 4, 2026
