Reinier de Ridder: Weight cuts ‘took all the fun out of fighting’

Reinier de Ridder, a former two-division One Championship titleholder, has decided to make the switch from middleweight to light heavyweight for his upcoming fight against Roman Dolidze at UFC Sacramento. The Dutch fighter believes that the weight cuts he endured at middleweight took all the joy out of fighting. "It took all the fun out of fighting," de Ridder stated at UFC Sacramento media day.

He explained that he had been on a constant diet, struggling to get close to his weight class year-round, which led to repeated weight cuts. Following his first-round loss to Brendan Allen, de Ridder's body showed signs of exhaustion and strain, pushing him to make the change. The move to light heavyweight has given de Ridder the freedom to train and eat without the same restrictions.

He recently joined American Top Team, where he trains alongside larger fighters. De Ridder is now targeting a Top 10 opponent if he secures a spectacular finish against Dolidze.