Former middleweight contender **Reinier de Ridder** is officially moving up to light heavyweight, with a co-main event booked against **Roman Dolidze** at UFC Sacramento on August 22.[9] De Ridder is making the jump to 205 pounds after back-to-back losses to Brendan Allen and Caio Borralho, seeking a fresh start in a new division.[9] Dolidze, a proven force at middleweight, provides an immediate high-level test, making this a pivotal bout for both men. The result will have implications for how quickly De Ridder can establish himself among the light heavyweight ranks. Expect a tactical but high-stakes matchup as each looks to reposition himself in a new title trajectory.[9]
Reinier de Ridder is heading to light heavyweight, with the UFC officially booking him against Roman Dolidze in a co-main event slot at UFC Sacramento on August 22. The Dutchman makes the divisional leap following consecutive losses at middleweight, looking to reset his career trajectory at 205 pounds.
De Ridder arrives at light heavyweight after dropping back-to-back decisions to Brendan Allen and Caio Borralho at 185 pounds. Allen, the fifth-ranked middleweight at 26-7, is a well-rounded threat who lands 3.59 significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy while also averaging 1.56 takedowns per 15 minutes. Borralho, ranked fourth at middleweight with an 18-2 record, is similarly complete, connecting at a 56 percent striking accuracy rate. Those two losses pushed de Ridder out of the middleweight picture entirely and prompted the weight class change.
His opponent, Roman Dolidze, enters at 15-5 and is ranked 12th at middleweight. The 37-year-old Georgian trains out of Xtreme Couture and brings a six-foot-two frame with a 76-inch reach — 193 centimeters — giving him legitimate size for the light heavyweight division. Dolidze averages 3.19 significant strikes per minute and contributes 1.16 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a multi-dimensional threat who represents a genuine measuring stick for a fighter attempting to establish himself in a new weight class.
Why it matters
- De Ridder's viability at light heavyweight will be tested immediately against a proven UFC veteran in Dolidze.
- A win could fast-track de Ridder into the 205-pound rankings; a loss would raise serious questions about his path forward.
- Dolidze, sitting outside the top ten at middleweight, has the chance to position himself in a fresh division with a marquee result.
- The size and reach advantages both men carry into light heavyweight make the style matchup genuinely intriguing.
