Reinier de Ridder says MMA must fix extreme weight cutting
Reinier de Ridder says MMA's extreme weight-cutting culture must change after brutal middleweight cuts left him depleted in losses to Brendan Allen and Caio Borralho—and he warns someone could pay with their life if fighters keep weighing in at 185 while competing closer to 210 pounds. The Dutch veteran makes his light heavyweight debut against Roman Dolidze at UFC Sacramento on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif.
Key Takeaways
- Reinier de Ridder blamed extreme weight cuts—not a skills gap—for recent UFC middleweight losses that left him physically drained.
- He asked, "What the f*ck are we doing?" after noting fighters weigh in at 185 but often fight near 210–215 pounds.
- De Ridder completed roughly six brutal cuts in just over a year before moving permanently to light heavyweight.
- His UFC Sacramento bout vs. Roman Dolidze opens his 205-pound run; a strong finish could put him back in top-10 contention.
- He admitted he lacks a perfect fix but said the current system forces fighters to cut or face 25-pound size disadvantages.
Why Is Reinier de Ridder Moving Up to Light Heavyweight?
After four straight UFC wins—including victories over Robert Whittaker and Bo Nickal—de Ridder kept accepting middleweight fights. That pace backfired. Against Brendan Allen, his body effectively shut down and his corner stopped the bout; he also felt "fairly lifeless" in a loss to Caio Borralho, per MMA Fighting.
De Ridder told the outlet that every weight cut felt like it had to be his last. Extreme calorie limits made it hard to recover between training sessions. He estimates top middleweights can handle that kind of cut maybe twice a year; he did about six in a little over a year. "It f*cks your body up. It f*cks your hormone levels up," he said.
What Did Reinier de Ridder Say About MMA Weight Cutting?
The blunt quote driving headlines came as de Ridder described weigh-ins versus fight-night weight. "Everybody makes 185. Everybody's at least 210 when they fight, maybe 215," he said. "What the f*ck are we doing? I weigh in at 185, my opponent weighs in at 185, both of us weigh in at 210 when we fight."
He argued that mentally, making weight has wrongly become the first priority and the fight itself second. De Ridder does not claim to have a perfect solution, but he believes something must change—or, as he put it, "somebody is really going to pay — perhaps even with their life." Under the current system, he said, fighters must cut or risk facing opponents 25 pounds heavier on fight night.
What Happens at UFC Sacramento on Saturday?
De Ridder (21-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) faces Roman Dolidze (15-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) on the UFC Fight Night 285 main card, streaming on Paramount+, per MMA Junkie. Both men are debuting at 205 pounds after middleweight runs. De Ridder called it a "perfect matchup" and said cutting roughly 20 pounds less should help him recover and stay active.
He shut the door on returning to 185, stating emphatically: "never … never a middleweight again." If he wins—and especially if he finishes Dolidze in spectacular fashion—de Ridder believes a top-10 light heavyweight bout could follow. For more offbeat sports angles, see our Bizarre News & Florida Man hub.