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De Ridder returns to light heavyweight to face Dolidze at UFC Sacramento on Aug. 22

Reinier de Ridder makes his light heavyweight comeback against Roman Dolidze at UFC Sacramento on August 22 at Golden 1 Center, with both men moving up after back-to-back losses at middleweight.

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De Ridder returns to light heavyweight to face Dolidze at UFC Sacramento on Aug. 22
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Reinier de Ridder will make his return to light heavyweight against Roman Dolidze at UFC Sacramento on August 22 at Golden 1 Center, MMA Fighting confirmed with sources on Sunday. Both fighters move up to 205 pounds following consecutive losses in the middleweight division.

De Ridder (21-4) arrived in the UFC in 2024 carrying the credentials of a former two-division ONE Championship champion and quickly built a four-fight winning streak at middleweight that included handing Bo Nickal his first professional loss and taking a split decision over former champion Robert Whittaker. That run placed “The Dutch Knight” on the edge of a title shot, but back-to-back defeats — a TKO loss to Brendan Allen followed by a decision loss to Caio Borralho — derailed those plans. After the Borralho fight, de Ridder publicly announced his intention to move back up to light heavyweight.

Dolidze (15-5) has been a consistent presence in the UFC middleweight rankings since joining the promotion in 2020, but he too arrives off two straight losses at 185 pounds. The move to light heavyweight is not unfamiliar territory for the Georgian fighter, who carries a 3-0 record inside the octagon at 205 pounds. His most recent appearance in the division came in 2024, when he earned a decision victory over former title challenger Anthony Smith.

The Sacramento card is headlined by a middleweight clash between top-15 contenders Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez and Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues.

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