‘The Natural Way’ Roars at ‘RDR’ for UFC 326
Caio Borralho hails from Brazil and has chosen his nickname as ‘The Natural’. His fight record of 17-2-0, with one of these fights being a no-contest, does present an almost natural rise in the Men’s Middleweight Division. His opponent for UFC 326 is known as ‘RDR,’ which unsurprisingly is none other than Reinier de Ridder. He hails from the Netherlands and carries a fight record of 21-3-0. He is also the grappler of this fight. ‘The Natural’ is more of a striker. These characteristics make for a battle at the beginning, but a war overall that will be broadcast live on ESPN!
‘The Natural’ will be coming into this fight with wins largely accumulated through an almost even number of knockouts and submissions, with the former being the highest. Caio is well-rounded as a result, but shares a similarity with Reinier in that both fighters are Southpaws. However, he will look to use his experience in landing more strikes than his opponent. This onslaught will create a fever-pitch of emotions from ‘RDR’, and Caio will be able to defend against them. This defense covers the standing position and extends to any ground stage the fight goes to.
The fight may end up going to the ground because Reinier has made most of his wins by submitting his opponents. As a result, he is strongest during a fight if he successfully takes down his opponent. He doesn’t rely on this trait alone, and he will use his reach over his opponent to his advantage, too. Since he does have the longest reach in this fight, he can keep ‘The Natural’ at arm's length until the opportunity for a takedown presents itself. He will have to watch for counters at that point, though, because of the defense Caio carries into this fight.
This favoring of Caio is reflected further in the fact that the crowd chooses him to win the fight. He can, if he stays aware of the takedown attempts that he will receive from ‘RDR’. If he doesn’t, that is the only saving grace Reinier has to upset the rhythm Caio will establish by round two. The fight between them is likely to go to a decision, and because of this, the fighter who lands the most strikes is the one who will win. Overall, Caio's reach is best utilized as a way to draw in Reinier.
It is undisputed that Caio wins by decision because of the chances ‘RDR’ will give him when he moves in for a takedown. He will be beaten back each time, or the bout will end before Reinier has a chance to submit ‘The Natural’. ‘RDR’ could try to make an early attempt at submitting him in the first round, but it is unlikely that it will succeed because typical fighters feel each other’s tendencies out during that time. However, fans of UFC could see either a fast knockout within this bout or a sudden submission, depending on both fighters’ tenacity within the fight itself. This is what makes UFC a combat sport to be watched like any other sport, and a Middleweight fight to behold in comparison to the Super Bowl itself!
