UFC middleweight contender Caio Borralho has recently brought to light a remarkable and previously undisclosed hurdle from his recent Octagon career. Known widely by his moniker "The Natural," the talented Brazilian fighter shared that he was fighting under severely compromised physical conditions during his high-profile matchup against elite grappler Reinier De Ridder earlier this year.
Borralho last competed inside the Octagon at UFC 326, which took place in March at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. On that night, he put on a masterclass of mixed martial arts, securing a decisive and convincing unanimous decision victory over De Ridder. Throughout the three-round contest, Borralho delivered a remarkably well-rounded performance. He combined effective, calculated striking with sharp, impenetrable grappling defense to successfully neutralize much of the formidable offense brought by De Ridder, commonly referred to as "RDR."
As the fight progressed, "The Natural" steadily gained the upper hand, consistently outworking and outdamaging his opponent across all three frames. His absolute dominance in the matchup was accurately reflected on the official ringside scorecards, where all three judges awarded him a clean and undisputed 30-27 sweep. It was viewed by analysts and fans alike as a statement victory in the talent-rich middleweight division, solidifying Borralho’s status as a top-tier threat.
However, the impressive nature of that victory takes on an entirely new context in light of recent revelations. Following his success at UFC 326, the 33-year-old Brazilian was initially booked and expected to return to active competition against rising contender Joe Pyfer at UFC 330 in August. Unfortunately, that highly anticipated booking was abruptly canceled when Borralho was forced to withdraw from the card due to a lingering rib injury that ultimately necessitated surgical intervention.
In a stunning turn of events, Borralho has now disclosed that the severe rib issue was not a fresh training camp casualty for the Pyfer bout. Instead, he was dealing with that exact same severe injury during his high-stakes clash with Reinier De Ridder at UFC 326, somehow managing to push through the agony and emerge victorious against one of the division’s toughest competitors.
Caio Borralho Details Incredible Painful Ordeal Before UFC 326
During an exclusive interview with LowKick MMA, conducted in association with Stake, Caio Borralho opened up candidly about the grueling injury ordeal that has quietly plagued him for the better part of the year. "The Natural" revealed that the fracture did not happen during the fight itself, but rather occurred during a high-intensity training session just two weeks before his UFC 326 showdown with De Ridder was scheduled to take place.
Reflecting on the psychological and physical toll of that period, Borralho offered a stark look inside the mindset required to compete at the absolute highest level of professional mixed martial arts.
"I broke my rib two weeks before my fight with De Ridder," Borralho shared during the interview. "I fought with a totally broken rib. It was the craziest two weeks of my life – it was a mental war. It was down to myself whether I would make the fight, and thank God I managed to get past these two weeks and fight."
The Stake ambassador went on to provide further details regarding the long-term fallout of the injury, explaining that the physical damage turned out to be far more severe than what he and his medical team had initially anticipated. Despite allowing more than two months of dedicated rest and recovery time for the rib to heal naturally, Borralho continued to experience persistent, nagging pain that hindered his daily life and athletic training.
Concerned by the lack of progress, Borralho returned to his medical team for further evaluation. A subsequent magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scan revealed an alarming reality: rather than healing, the fracture had actually worsened significantly over the course of those ten weeks. The structural integrity of the bone had degraded to the point where emergency medical intervention became unavoidable.
"The crazy thing about this injury, after the fight, I went to my doctor and he said we have to wait until it heals," Borralho explained. "I was waiting for 10 weeks and still had pain, so I went back to the doctor and we had an MRI. The results showed that it was separated even more after 10 weeks, and we had to have emergency surgery the next day."
The emergency procedure required orthopedic intervention to stabilize the compromised area. Borralho revealed that surgeons placed a titanium device to hold the skeletal structure firmly in place.
"I had a titanium bracelet to keep the rib together so it would heal faster, and then it took a further 10 to 12 weeks. So that’s why I have had to wait," he added, shedding light on the extensive rehabilitation timeline that kept him sidelined throughout the summer.
With the grueling recovery period now completely behind him, Borralho has been medically cleared and is fully prepared to step back into the Octagon. He is officially scheduled to return to action against Yousri Belgaroui on the main card of UFC 334, which is set to take place on November 14 at the historic Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Borralho enters this upcoming chapter with a stellar resume inside the world’s premier MMA promotion. "The Natural" currently boasts an impressive 8-1 record inside the UFC. His journey to the organization began when he earned a coveted contract with a dominant first-round stoppage victory over Jesse Murray on Dana White’s Contender Series back in 2021.
Prior to his recent triumphs, Borralho had put together an astonishing seven-fight winning streak within the promotion, establishing himself as a formidable force at 185 pounds. That pristine organizational run eventually came to an end when he dropped a hard-fought decision against top contender Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Paris in September 2025. Now, fully healed from the harrowing injury that compromised his performance at UFC 326 and forced him off the UFC 330 card, Borralho looks to make another emphatic statement as he prepares for his return to the Madison Square Garden stage.
