De Ridder On Middleweight Cut After UFC Sacramento

Reinier de Ridder says he is finished with middleweight after a brutal stretch of weight cutting nearly derailed his UFC career.

The 6'4" Dutch fighter, who faces Roman Dolidze at heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight this weekend in Sacramento, told MMA Junkie he dropped to 185 pounds six times in just over a year before calling it quits on the division. "I'm never going back, it's over," he said. "205 is my home. Making 185 pounds six times in a little bit over a year is just the dumbest shit I've ever done."

De Ridder Questions Weight-Cutting Culture

De Ridder criticized the sport's weight-cutting norms, pointing out that fighters routinely compromise their health and fight schedules by shedding 10 percent of their body weight before competition. He questioned why the practice remains standard when it limits activity and leaves everyone diminished on fight night.

The former ONE Championship two-division titleholder is looking to snap a two-fight skid after dropping decisions to Caio Borralho at UFC 326 in March and another loss before that. He started his UFC run 4-0 before the recent slide, all while draining himself to make middleweight.

Dolidze also enters on a two-fight losing streak, having fallen to Anthony Hernandez at UFC Vegas 109 and Christian Leroy Duncan at UFC London. The heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight bout goes down Saturday in Sacramento.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Reinier de Ridder ‘never going back’ to middleweight after UFC Sacramento — ‘Dumbest s—t I’ve ever done’