Reinier de Ridder has opened up about the brutal weight cut that convinced him to leave the UFC middleweight division for good. The former two division ONE Championship champion said he made the decision while preparing for his March fight against Caio Borralho, after struggling badly to reach the 185 pound limit.
De Ridder eventually moved to light heavyweight and delivered an emphatic response at UFC Sacramento, stopping Roman Dolidze in the first round. The victory gave the Dutchman a fresh start at 205 pounds after consecutive defeats at middleweight.
Reinier de Ridder knew his middleweight days were over
De Ridder said the weight cut ahead of his fight with Borralho became so difficult that he decided during fight week that he would never compete at 185 pounds again.
The 35 year old described the period as the worst fight week of his career and said that everything seemed to go wrong. He also made it clear that he was not trying to use the weight cut as an excuse for the eventual defeat.
Borralho defeated De Ridder by unanimous decision at UFC 326 in March. The Brazilian controlled much of the striking exchanges and secured a clear decision victory, giving De Ridder his second consecutive loss inside the UFC Octagon.
The defeat came after De Ridder had already struggled against Brendan Allen in October 2025. Allen stopped him through a corner stoppage after four rounds, ending a five fight winning streak.
Repeated weight cuts took their toll
De Ridder’s decision was not made overnight. Before his move to light heavyweight, he had already spoken about how difficult it had become to maintain a middleweight body throughout the year.
He previously said repeated weight cuts had taken the enjoyment out of fighting. According to De Ridder, he was essentially dieting throughout the year just to remain close to the middleweight limit.
That became particularly difficult after his loss to Allen, where he visibly faded during the fight. De Ridder felt that repeatedly pushing his body toward the 185 pound limit was no longer sustainable.
His comments also highlight one of the long standing challenges in MMA. Fighters often have to reduce their body weight significantly before competition before attempting to recover much of that weight before entering the Octagon. De Ridder has argued that the current system needs to be examined more closely.
A successful move to light heavyweight
The biggest evidence that De Ridder made the right decision came at UFC Sacramento on August 22.
Facing Roman Dolidze at light heavyweight, De Ridder looked considerably more comfortable. He took control of the fight on the ground and eventually finished Dolidze with ground strikes in the opening round.
The result was particularly important because it stopped De Ridder’s two fight losing streak and gave him his first UFC victory since beating Robert Whittaker by split decision in July 2025.
Reinier de Ridder entered the UFC with an impressive reputation. He had already won titles at both middleweight and light heavyweight in ONE Championship before joining the UFC. He also entered the promotion after winning his first 16 professional fights.
His UFC career began in November 2024 with a submission victory over Gerald Meerschaert. He followed that with wins over Kevin Holland and Bo Nickal before defeating Whittaker in a five round fight.
Reinier de Ridder now has a new opportunity at 205 pounds
The move to light heavyweight gives De Ridder a chance to rebuild his position without the physical burden that came with making middleweight.
His victory over Dolidze was also convincing enough to put him back into the conversation around the division. With his grappling background and experience against elite competition, De Ridder could quickly become a difficult matchup for ranked light heavyweights.
The Dutchman is a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu and has 13 professional submission victories, according to his UFC profile. He has also recorded 11 first round finishes during his professional career.
More importantly, De Ridder now believes he can compete at a weight where his body feels stronger and healthier. His first round finish over Dolidze provided an early indication of what he could look like without the exhausting middleweight cut.
A fresh chapter for the Dutchman
Reinier de Ridder’s move to light heavyweight was ultimately about more than changing divisions. It was about finding a weight class where he could prepare for fights without spending much of his training camp focused on getting his body down to an uncomfortable weight.
The loss to Borralho may have marked the end of his middleweight run, but it also forced a decision that could extend his UFC career.
At 205 pounds, De Ridder has already shown that he can still produce decisive finishes against experienced opponents. After the difficult period at middleweight, the former ONE Championship champion now has an opportunity to establish himself as a serious contender in a new UFC division.
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