Reinier de Ridder has made it clear: he's done with middleweight for good. The Dutch MMA fighter has announced that 205 pounds will be his new home, following a string of setbacks at 185 pounds.
After a 4-0 start in the UFC, de Ridder (21-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) suffered back-to-back losses to Brendan Allen and Caio Borralho, which prompted him to change weight classes. Competing four times in 2025 took a serious toll on his body, and it was especially visible in his stoppage loss to Brendan Allen at UFC Fight Night 262, where he was unable to continue at the end of Round 4.
De Ridder has spoken candidly about his decision, telling MMA Junkie Radio, "Middleweight is still great – a lot of cool stuff going on there – but I'm never going back. It's over: 205 is my home." His return to 205 pounds comes against Roman Dolidze (15-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 285 on August 22 at Golden 1 Center.
A former ONE middleweight and light heavyweight champion, de Ridder has been vocal about the challenges of making weight cuts. In the same interview, he responded to whether he should have changed weight classes sooner, saying, "I'm very happy with what happened. But if I would have been a bit more honest with myself, making 185 pounds six times in a little bit over a year is just the dumbest sht I've ever done. It's not real, and I think it's time to figure something out with this whole weight cut thing, anyway, because this limits us fighters so much toward activity. It's so weird we ended up here. Everyone cuts 10 percent of their body weight. Everybody is compromised when they fight. Why are we still doing this sht?"
De Ridder's comments highlight the ongoing debate in the MMA community about the impact of weight cuts on fighter health and well-being. His decision to move up to light heavyweight has significant implications for his career, as he looks to establish himself in a new division.
The August 22 fight against Roman Dolidze will be a crucial test for de Ridder in his new weight class. Will he be able to translate his skills to 205 pounds, or will the challenges of making weight cuts continue to haunt him? Only time will tell, but one thing is clear: Reinier de Ridder is committed to making light heavyweight his new home.
Source: Yahoo Sports