Reinier de Ridder Goes All-In at 205 Ahead of Dolidze Clash

Reinier de Ridder is done cutting to 185. The Dutch standout confirmed this week that Saturday's fight with Roman Dolidze at UFC Sacramento marks his permanent move to light heavyweight, and he isn't leaving a door open behind him. "I'm never going back to middleweight," he said flatly — a clean break after a UFC run that saw him rip off four wins in eight months before hitting a wall.

The timing looks reactive on paper. De Ridder is coming off consecutive decision losses to Brendan Allen (27-7) and Caio Borralho (18-2), the latter now sitting at #5 in the division. But he says the move to 205 has been on his mind for years, long before those setbacks. The weight cuts for the Bo Nickal and Robert Whittaker fights were brutal, and grinding through two-a-day camps while underfed was wearing him down.

The Numbers Back the Move

Here's the wrinkle: de Ridder was a light heavyweight before he ever set foot in the Octagon. He opened his career with four straight stoppages at 205 and built an 11-1 mark in the division across his run in ONE Championship, where he won gold and defended it twice. He only debuted in the UFC at middleweight because, as he puts it, that's where the interesting fights were — and because years living in America had added some natural size.

The weight class isn't the only thing changing. After several years at Kill Cliff FC, de Ridder has crossed town to American Top Team, a switch he cheerfully called controversial. The departure of close friend and former opponent Aung La Nsang, who opened his own gym, was a big factor. He's now working with Mike Brown and Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, and gave both rave reviews, praising Lawal's coaching through sparring and Brown as a genuine MMA obsessive.

For anyone reading a weight change plus a gym change as a confidence crisis, de Ridder pushed back hard. He says he's proud of what he built — beating Kevin Holland by submission, handing Nickal (9-1) his only career loss, edging Whittaker in Abu Dhabi. He knows his weapons, still loves the grind, and wants to see how far he can push things at 205.

Dolidze is a smart first test. The Georgian is also a former middleweight returning to light heavyweight, and neither man is currently ranked. The division's depth is thinner than middleweight's, which gives the winner a fast lane toward the top 15. De Ridder even joked that the cool fights might be following him up, given how many former 185ers have relocated — though he waved off a Whittaker rematch, noting the former champ looked sharp and quick last time out.