Former ONE Middleweight Champ to Go Back to 205 for Next Appearance
Reinier de Ridder (21-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has some experience fighting at 205 lbs in the past. de Ridder, who came to the UFC after a 4-2 stint in Chatri Sityodtong’s ONE Championship, regularly fought in the promotion’s middleweight division. In ONE Championship, middleweights compete at a champions...
Reinier de Ridder (21-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has some experience fighting at 205 lbs in the past. de Ridder, who came to the UFC after a 4-2 stint in Chatri Sityodtong’s ONE Championship, regularly fought in the promotion’s middleweight division.
In ONE Championship, middleweights compete at a championship maximum of 205 lbs as a way to discourage unsafe methods of cutting weight Since joining the UFC, Reinier de Ridder has fought in the middleweight class at 185 lbs, including a fight this past Saturday evening at T-Mobile Arena during UFC 326.
During the fight against Caio Borralho (18-2, 1 NC MMA, 8-1 UFC,) he was narrowly bested in terms of total strikes by Borralho, 57-55, but his adversary connected on 58 percent of his shots versus 39 percent for RDR. After 15 minutes of action in the evening’s co-main event, Reinier de Ridder came out on the losing end of a split decision (30-27, 30-27, 27-30.)
Reinier de Ridder Trying Luck at 205 Again
Saturday’s defeat at the hands of Caio Borralho marked Reinier de Ridder’s second successive loss. In the ensuing days since the fight versus Borralho, de Ridder has spent some time plotting his next moves inside the fabled Octagon.
Whenever he fights next, fans can expect a switch to the light heavyweight division. As previously mentioned, RDR has fought at 205 lbs before, going 7-2 and winning the ONE Middleweight Championship in October of 2020.
de Ridder took to Instagram recently to announce his intentions to go back to 205 lbs for his next trip to the cage. Before revealing the move to light heavyweight, he treated his team to some donuts.
“I came up a little short,” Reinier de Ridder began. “I think it could have gone either way, but I’m happy that I got my body back. Most importantly, I was able to go three hard rounds.”
Rationale Behind Reinier de Ridder’s Donut Treat
In revealing his impending move to light heavyweight, RDR explained why his teammates received donuts at the gym earlier Wednesday.
“I think I have a lot more to show, he continued. “I brought you guys donuts because I need you guys heavy. I need you guys strong because I’m coming at 205, baby.”
This will also serve as a return to the light heavyweight ranks for de Ridder. During his stint in ONE Championship, he moved up to its light heavyweight division, where competitors fight at a championship maximum of 225 lbs.
In April of 2021, de Ridder accepted a short-notice fight at ONE on TNT 4 versus Aung La N Sang, just six months after defeating him by submission for the middleweight MMA title. Although no stoppage was in the cards for RDR, he’d become a two-division king by unanimous decision.
Final Thoughts: Will Return to 205 Bring About Renewed Success in Cage?
Losing streaks haven’t been too common for RDR throughout his career. The current two-fight skid is only the second he’s had in his time as an MMA fighter.
Reinier de Ridder has been known to bounce back after tasting defeat, but at the age of 35, time might not be on his side for much longer. This is a man who has spent a decent amount of time fighting at 205 lbs, so can the move back to that weight and to the light heavyweight division bring about one more run at gold?
It will be interesting to see if de Ridder’s decision will result in a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Stay tuned to see what happens.
