The middleweight division finally got moving in 2026 when Sean Strickland put on a statement-setting performance with his TKO win over Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez in Houston. With the weightclass awaiting Khamzat Chimaev’s first title defense, the rest of the contenders have also sort of been in limbo, but two fighters who could make a major move are Caio Borralho and Reinier de Ridder, who face off in the co-main event at UFC 326: Holloway vs Oliveira 2.
Although both fighters are coming off main event losses, they remain in the thick of the title picture and are just a couple of wins from making their case for a shot at the 185-pound throne.