Reinier de Ridder returns to light heavyweight in clash with Roman Dolidze
The UFC has just announced Roman Dolidze's next fight, and it is one that bumps him up a division, where he takes on multi-division threat Roman Dolidze in late August.
Reinier de Ridder has been given his second bout for 2026. However, it won't be an avenue for him to rebuild his path back to a potential middleweight title shot. Instead, he is moving up to light heavyweight to face UFC mainstay Roman Dolidze. The matchup takes place on Aug. 22 at UFC Sacramento and will be one that neither man can afford to lose.
Reinier de Ridder and Roman Dolidze are in similar territory
Both Reinier de Ridder and Roman Dolidze are facing similar issues. Their careers have been defined by their respective flip-flopping between middleweight and light heavyweight. Though more pressing is their mutual two-fight losing streaks. De Ridder lost to Brendan Allen via TKO at UFC Fight Night 262 after he was unable to get off his stool for round five. Unfortunately for 'The Dutch Knight,' that loss was followed by another disappointment, as he lost to Caio Borralho via unanimous decision at UFC 326. Prior to these back-to-back losses, de Ridder was on an impressive five-fight win streak, including a split-decision win over ex-middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 9.
New weight class for The Dutch Knight 🇳🇱 ⚔️ #UFCSacramento
🇬🇪 Roman Dolidze vs Reinier de Ridder 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/6At0dptyk6
De Ridder also famously handed the much-hyped Bo Nickal his first-ever professional loss at UFC on ESPN 67, when he TKO'd him in round two. Now, though, on a two-fight losing streak, he will hope a move to light heavyweight will reinvigorate his UFC career. He is no stranger to the division, having once reigned as the ONE light heavyweight champion, as well as the ONE middleweight champion. However, neither is his opponent, Dolidze, who occasionally moonlights as a light heavyweight. He is currently on a two-fight losing streak of his own, with a fourth-round submission loss to Anthony Hernandez at UFC Vegas 109, and a unanimous decision loss to Christian Leroy Duncan at UFC Fight Night 270.
His last light heavyweight bout came against the troubled Anthony Smith, who he defeated via unanimous decision at UFC 303. He followed that win up by TKO'ing Kevin Holland in round one at UFC 307, and beating Marvin Vettori via unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 104. That, unfortunately, is where his purple patch ended and he has since suffered two back-to-back losses, which he will hope to leave behind when he faces de Ridder at UFC Sacramento.
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