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Reinier de Ridder and Paulo Costa reportedly added to stacked Holloway–Oliveira 2 card

Originally posted on HITC | By Kyle Dimond | Last updated Dec 18, 2025 12:17 PM ET

UFC 326 is shaping up to feature two notable middleweight matchups, according to reports.

Max Holloway is already scheduled to defend his BMF title against Charles Oliveira on March 7 in Las Vegas.

The calendar is quickly filling up for the first quarter of 2026, and there are already several high-profile fights being considered for the card.

Khamzat Chimaev has held the middleweight belt since last August, but he has made it clear he does not plan to stay in the division much longer.

That has not stopped a growing list of contenders from eyeing their shot at the unbeaten champion. A few names could put themselves at the front of that line if they pick up big wins before then.

A pair of middleweight match-ups being lined up for UFC 326

Photo by Jordan Jones/Getty Images

Nassourdine Imavov looks set to be Chimaev’s next opponent, a spot that is not expected to change anytime soon.

Sean Strickland and Anthony Hernandez, set to headline a Fight Night event in Houston on February 21, will probably also be keen to make their case.

A few more fighters are also being linked with this event, which could put them right in the title conversation if they come away with wins.

On December 14, Leo Guimaraes reported that two middleweight fights are expected to take place on March 7, starting with Reinier de Ridder versus Caio Borralho.

If either man had managed to avoid defeat in their previous outings, we might have seen them moved directly into title contention. Instead, both are now looking to bounce back and re-establish themselves in the division

On the other hand, Brunno Ferreira asked for a ranked opponent at middleweight following his win over Marvin Vettori at UFC 323, and it appears he will get his wish. Reports suggest he will meet former title challenger Paulo Costa next March.

Costa got back on track at UFC 318 with a win over Roman Kopylov after dropping his previous two bouts. He will look to build on that momentum when he returns against Ferreira.

UFC 326 line-up is filling out with Brazilian talent

Leo Guimaraes has been busy sharing details about UFC 326, and the middleweight bouts are not the only ones he has highlighted.

Earlier in the week, he posted on X that Renato Moicano will be taking on Brian Ortega, who is making his move to lightweight.

It means every fight so far linked to March 7 at the T-Mobile Arena features a high-profile Brazilian, showing just how deep the country’s talent pool remains within the promotion.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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