UFC Mexico City should have gone better, but it was really a game of inches. The elevation certainly played a part for some fighters, and it was tough seeing Edgar Chairez and Santiago Luna lose steam over three rounds. They had their moments, but couldn’t get the job done. After another tough card, we now sit at -3.99 Units so far, but we have some solid cards to make that back.
UFC 326 is next up, and it features a long-awaited rematch between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira, this time, for the BMF belt. The co-main event has some title implications at middleweight, with Caio Borrahlo talking on Reinier de Ridder. This card features a solid mix of exciting fights, top-tier talent, and up-and-coming fighters. Let’s take a look at the main card, and don’t forget to check back for our UFC 326 best bets as we right the ship this week.
UFC 326 Main Card Breakdown
Gregory Rodrigues
1.50
2.64
Brunno Ferreira
This is a solid rematch for both fighters to see where they stand three years later. In the first fight, Brunno Fereira knocked out Gregory Rodrigues in the first round, but Rodrigues has made tremendous strides in his boxing since then. While Rodrigues is ranked 13 at middleweight, Ferreira is sitting at 15 heading into UFC 326.
Last time out, Ferreira missed weight but beat Marvin Vettori via decision. It was the first time he’s ever gone to the judges’ scorecards, and it was a well-contested fight. He’s 6-2 overall in the UFC, and his kill-or-be-killed style makes him an exciting fighter, especially with the way the UFC is marketing fighters. He’s a good grappler with powerful strikes, but his cardio has always been a question mark given his output.
Rodrigues’ run in the UFC is underrated. He’s 9-3 overall, and after losing to some of the top fighters at the time, he’s always come back better. His first loss was a split decision to Armen Petrosyan, his second was to Ferreira, and his only other loss was a fourth-round knockout against Jared Cannonier. He’s still 5-1 since his first loss to Ferreira, and, as mentioned, his boxing and footwork are a big reason for his success.
This fight will come down to cardio. Both fighters are powerful, have solid grappling, and look for the finish. Given both fighters’ early output, how they look in the second half of the fight could play the biggest role in how this one ends. Rodrigues has never been submitted, and his cardio has been improving. Ferreira will need to play it slow and avoid throwing too much early. If he fails to land the flash knockout, Rodrigues will take over the fight and find ways to land the better shots. This should be an absolute banger to kick things off.
Drew Dober
2.00
1.83
Michael Johnson
In a solid clash of veterans, Drew Dober and Michael Johnson will do battle after coming off wins in their previous fights. While Dober finished Kyle Prepolec in the third round, Johnson is on a much better trajectory, winning his last three fights. This is a solid battle of a kickboxer and a boxer, with Dober landing plenty of low kicks and combinations, and Johnson using his rangy boxing style behind a solid jab.
Dober’s mileage is certainly catching up. He’s 2-4 since 2023, and three of his losses are stoppages. He has plenty of scar tissue heading into fights, and, win or lose, he seems to take plenty of damage in every fight. Against Johnson, his best path to victory is moving in and out of range, using his kicks and big combos to land the better shots. The calf kick should be a major tool for him, since he’ll prefer to stay at kicking range and avoid Johnson’s boxing. If he’s trying to secure the win, looking for takedowns could also be a sneaky way to steal rounds if the striking is close.
The gameplan for Johnson is simple. Stay in his boxing range, continue to land in volume, and keep Dober buessing. If he’s able to stay in his boxing range, avoid the big power shots, and keep the fight standing, it’ll be hard for Dober to muster up any offense, especially with a 3.5-inch reach advantage. Momentum is all on Johnson’s side as well, after similarly beating Daniel Zellhuber last time out. This will be a fun fight with both guys looking to establish their range and finding their moments.
Rob Font
2.80
1.45
Raul Rosas Jr.
In a classic striker versus grappler fight, Rob Font takes on 21-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. While they are at opposite ends of their careers, this is an interesting matchup given both fighters’ styles. Font has 20 UFC fights under his belt, while Rosas Jr. is 5-1 in his young UFC career. Font is a great boxer who has never been knocked out, despite being knocked down plenty of times. He’s tough, technical, and tries to find ways to stay in the fight. It’s quite clear what Rosas Jr. likes to do. He’s going to work his way inside, work his clinch and wrestling, and take the fight to the ground.
Font’s best path to victory is obvious. He should have a clear advantage on the feet, and he has a 4-inch reach advantage, but keeping Rosas Jr. in boxing range for three straight rounds will be the hard part. The most important thing for him is to stay on his feet. If Rosas Jr. is working against the fence for too long, we’ve seen referees look to break things up more now than ever. If they reset and get put back in the middle, that’s the best opportunity for Font to try and unload while he can. Simple gameplan, but hard to execute.
For Rosas Jr., there’s simply no reason to take any chances on the feet. His boxing is getting better, but we’ve seen him take plenty of damage if he tries to strike for too long or struggles to get takedowns. He averages four takedowns over three rounds, which also means when he’s successful, it’s hard to get up. Ground-and-pound and submission attempts will be the best way to win over the fans and the UFC bosses. Lay-and-pray is considered blasphemous in today’s UFC, and referees are not afraid to stand them back up.
Caio Borralho
1.33
3.40
Reinier de Ridder
In a battle of elite, well-rounded fighters, Caio Borralho and Reinier de Ridder will do battle in the co-main event. Borralho is 7-1 in the UFC and ranked 7 in the division, while de Ridder is 4-1 in the UFC and ranked 8. The winner of this fight will surely get a top-five opponent next time out and will be flirting with a title opportunity if they string together a few more wins.
Borralho is the more technical striker in this matchup. His defense is far superior at 60% against de Ridder’s 48%, and he lands at a slightly better clip. The wrestling and grappling could be a deciding factor in this fight, with both fighters mixing it up well. Borralho has a slight advantage there as well, with his 76% takedown defense versus de Ridder’s 50%. Given de Ridder’s style, acumen on the ground, and tendency to tire and take damage, Borralho should do most of the damage on the feet and use takedowns as a last resort to steal rounds.
Looking at the numbers, it makes far too much sense for de Ridder to avoid the distance striking and work in the clinch. He’s had success there before, against Robert Whittaker, to be exact, and his ability to control the fight has always been a big part of his strategy. He also adds solid offense in the clinch, including effective knees to the body, which have worked well in the past. All of his best UFC wins have come from working in the clinch and there’s no reason to change things up this time.
This will be a high-level chess match for the MMA nerds.
Max Holloway
1.43
2.75
Charles Oliveira
It’s hard to cheer against either one of these guys, but Holloway and Oliveira are going to bring the heat in the main event for the BMF title. This will be the second time these two have done battle, after they met in 2015, and the fight was stopped due to an injury to Oliveira. With Holloway dominating the featherweight division for so long, it’s interesting that these two haven’t met again till 11 years later at lightweight. Oliveira was reborn at lightweight in 2018 when he ripped off a massive win streak en route to the title.
Since Holloway’s failed trilogy against Alexander Volkanovski, he was still doing well at featherweight, but decided to move up to lightweight for the bigger fights. He took on Justin Gaethje for the BMF title, and everyone knows how that one turned out, with the infamous finger-pointing down moment. He got a chance at the UFC lightweight title against Ilia Topuria, but that was also the first time we saw Holloway get knocked out. After that, he styled on Dustin Poirier for his retirement fight. He’s best known for his insane volume, solid boxing, and ability to take a punch. He’s rarely in a bad spot, and his gameplan never changes. Keep the fight standing, and outwork the other guy as much as possible.
Oliveira has a newfound love for boxing, and rightfully so. He’s scored some impressive knockouts of his own after being widely known as one of the best finishing grapplers in the UFC. The big thing for Oliveira is finding ways to get to the top position and control the fight. Even with some impressive boxing, most of his wins are club-and-subs or ground-and-pound finishes. Holloway has a 83% takedown defense, and we’ve only once seen him get finished on the feet. If Oliveira chooses to stand and box, it could be tough sledding with the most active striker in UFC history. He needs to change things up, avoid the slugfest, and find ways to get Holloway to the ground. We’ve rarely seen it, but if you can force Holloway to fight for position, it’s one of the best ways of neutralizing his insane output.
This will be another fantastic chess match between two elite fighters, but in this case, you don’t want to see either guy lose. Cue the waterworks.
UFC 326 Best Bets
2025 Total Units Won: +29.97 Units
2026 Record: 11-19, -3.99 Units
(All bets 1 Unit Unless Specified)
Coming soon…
UFC 326 is a banger card from top to bottom. While there aren’t the biggest names early on, the fights should be exciting with some up-and-comers looking to make a splash on the big stage. As for the main card, every fight has something to offer, and fans will be on their feet when Holloway and Oliveira make their way to the cage.
Check out our main card breakdown and best bets for UFC Houston on SlotsFighter.com. We’re just getting started in 2026. Keep it locked to SlotsFighter to get all the best bets for UFC cards, and don’t forget to follow SlotsFighter and SOOKY MMA on Instagram.
