Reinier de Ridder returns to action this weekend in the co-main event of UFC 326 and will take on Team Fighting Nerds’ Caio Borralho.
Both fighters suffered their first UFC losses in their previous outings and will be looking to bounce back this Saturday to reinsert themselves into title contention.
In a recent interview with Standemup, “RDR” shared his assessment of his upcoming opponent, Borralho. De Ridder believes “The Natural” is a well-balanced fighter who knows when to take risks in the octagon and when to step back. The 35-year-old lauded the Brazilian:
Yeah. I think what makes him [Caio Borralho] special is that he is very well-balanced and he manages risk very well. That’s what makes him special. He’s not the greatest grappler, he’s not the greatest striker, but he knows when to press and when to step back, and he knows when to explode and he does that very well.”
Reinier de Ridder breaks down how he expects his UFC 326 bout with Caio Borralho to play out
This weekend at UFC 326, when the octagon door closes, Reinier de Ridder believes Caio Borralho will look to dictate the pace and slow things down, and Borralho’s best chance of winning is to make sure the fight goes the distance instead of chasing a finish. During the same sitdown, “RDR” said:
“I think that’s the most important thing on my mind going into this fight [I need to put on pressure and make the fight]. He [Caio Borralho] is going to want to make it pretty. He likes to bounce in and out, throw a couple of shots, take a step back, look, see. He’s going to try to steal the rounds, control the fight, slow it down. That’s the way he wins fights. He’s very balanced, very well measured.”
“RDR,” however, has different plans, and his comments strongly suggest that he will be actively hunting for a finish against “The Natural.” The former ONE FC two-division champion added:
I do my best work when I put pressure on, get in your face, hit you with good stuff, take you down, and choke you out… I want to impose my will, push him back, and get him against the cage. That’s what I do best.”
Check out Reinier de Ridder’s comments below (0:56, 17:11) :
