Reinier de Ridder and Roman Dolidze set for light heavyweight clash at UFC Sacramento
Yahoo Sports • 2 min read • Latest: Jul 5, 2026, 2:00 PM
Last updated Jul 5, 2026
Reinier de Ridder and Roman Dolidze will face off in a light heavyweight bout at UFC Sacramento on August 22 at Golden 1 Center. Both fighters are moving up in weight class after recent challenges in the middleweight division. De Ridder, a former two-division champion in ONE Championship, has a record of 21-4 and is looking to rebound from two consecutive losses. Dolidze, holding a record of 15-5, also seeks to find success after dropping his last two fights at middleweight. UFC Sacramento will feature a main event between contenders Anthony Hernandez and Gregory Rodrigues.
- •De Ridder joins UFC Sacramento after two losses.
- •Dolidze moves up to light heavyweight to reset his career.
- •UFC Sacramento takes place on August 22 at Golden 1 Center.
- •De Ridder previously held championships in ONE Championship.
- •Main event features Anthony Hernandez vs. Gregory Rodrigues.
- 2:00 PMYahoo Sports — Reinier de Ridder makes light heavyweight return against and Roman Dolidze at UFC Sacramento
- 2:00 PMMMA Fighting — Reinier de Ridder makes light heavyweight return against and Roman Dolidze at UFC Sacramento
"LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 07: Reinier de Ridder of The Netherlands enters the Octagon in a middleweight fight during the UFC 326 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 07, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Reinier de Ridder and Roman Dolidze are moving on up. On Sunday, MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin confirmed with sources with knowledge of the bout that de Ridder and Dolidze are set to square off in a light heavyweight fight at UFC Sacramento on Aug. 22 at Golden 1 Center. Léo Guimaraes was first to report the matchup. A former two-division champion in ONE Championship, de Ridder (21-4) joined the UFC in 2024, making an immediate impact with four straight wins in the middleweight division, including handing Bo Nickal his first career loss, and taking a split decision over former champion Robert Whittaker. That put “The Dutch Knight” on the cusp of a title shot; however, de Ridder dropped his next two bouts, a TKO loss to Brendan Allen, and then a decision to Caio Borralho. After the Borralho loss, de Ridder announced his decision to return to the light heavyweight division. Dolidze (15-5) has been a fixture of the UFC middleweight rankings since joining the promotion in 2020. However, after dropping his past two fights, Dolidze now finds himself in a tough spot at 185 pounds, so he moves up to 205 pounds to try and make a run in a weight class where he has gone 3-0 inside the octagon. In his most recent light heavyweight appearance in 2024, Dolidze won a decision over one-time title challenger Anthony Smith. UFC Sacramento is headlined by a middleweight matchup between top 15-ranked contenders Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez and Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues.
"Reinier de Ridder is back at light heavyweight
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsJul 5, 2026, 2:00 PMReinier de Ridder makes light heavyweight return against and Roman Dolidze at UFC Sacramento
Reinier de Ridder is back at light heavyweight
- MMA FightingJul 5, 2026, 2:00 PMReinier de Ridder makes light heavyweight return against and Roman Dolidze at UFC Sacramento
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 07: Reinier de Ridder of The Netherlands enters the Octagon in a middleweight fight during the UFC 326 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 07, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Reinier de Ridder and Roman Dolidze are moving on up. On Sunday, MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin confirmed with sources with knowledge of the bout that de Ridder and Dolidze are set to square off in a light heavyweight fight at UFC Sacramento on Aug. 22 at Golden 1 Center. Léo Guimaraes was first to report the matchup. A former two-division champion in ONE Championship, de Ridder (21-4) joined the UFC in 2024, making an immediate impact with four straight wins in the middleweight division, including handing Bo Nickal his first career loss, and taking a split decision over former champion Robert Whittaker. That put “The Dutch Knight” on the cusp of a title shot; however, de Ridder dropped his next two bouts, a TKO loss to Brendan Allen, and then a decision to Caio Borralho. After the Borralho loss, de Ridder announced his decision to return to the light heavyweight division. Dolidze (15-5) has been a fixture of the UFC middleweight rankings since joining the promotion in 2020. However, after dropping his past two fights, Dolidze now finds himself in a tough spot at 185 pounds, so he moves up to 205 pounds to try and make a run in a weight class where he has gone 3-0 inside the octagon. In his most recent light heavyweight appearance in 2024, Dolidze won a decision over one-time title challenger Anthony Smith. UFC Sacramento is headlined by a middleweight matchup between top 15-ranked contenders Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez and Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues.
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