2 hours ago
Reinierde Ridder believes his light heavyweight move puts the fun backinto fighting.
He's competed at middleweight during his Ultimate Fighting Championship run so far. However, followingback-to-back losses at 185 pounds, de Ridder committed to the205-pound division after enduring six weight cuts in just over ayear.
Ahead of his UFC light heavyweight debut against RomanDolidze at UFC Sacramento, de Ridder opened up about the difficult weightcuts at middleweight that made the overall experienceunenjoyable.
"It took all the fun out of fighting," de Ridder said at UFCSacramento media day. "I was basically dieting year-round,struggling to get close year-round, so it was time."
The Dutchman said his body began showing the effects of repeatedcuts, particularly after his first-round fight with BrendanAllen left him exhausted.
"I think that was just too much," de Ridder added. "It basicallypushed my body way too far."
The move to light heavyweight has allowed de Ridder to train andeat without the same restrictions. He also recently joined American Top Team, where he regularly trains with largerfighters. The former two-division OneChampionship ***** leholder is eyeing a top-ranked opponent if hebeats Dolidze.
"If I do well this weekend and I can get a spectacular finish, nextone is going to be Top 10 for sure," he added.
#ridder #division
He's competed at middleweight during his Ultimate Fighting Championship run so far. However, followingback-to-back losses at 185 pounds, de Ridder committed to the205-pound division after enduring six weight cuts in just over ayear.
Ahead of his UFC light heavyweight debut against RomanDolidze at UFC Sacramento, de Ridder opened up about the difficult weightcuts at middleweight that made the overall experienceunenjoyable.
"It took all the fun out of fighting," de Ridder said at UFCSacramento media day. "I was basically dieting year-round,struggling to get close year-round, so it was time."
The Dutchman said his body began showing the effects of repeatedcuts, particularly after his first-round fight with BrendanAllen left him exhausted.
"I think that was just too much," de Ridder added. "It basicallypushed my body way too far."
The move to light heavyweight has allowed de Ridder to train andeat without the same restrictions. He also recently joined American Top Team, where he regularly trains with largerfighters. The former two-division OneChampionship ***** leholder is eyeing a top-ranked opponent if hebeats Dolidze.
"If I do well this weekend and I can get a spectacular finish, nextone is going to be Top 10 for sure," he added.
#ridder #division
10 days ago
Reinierde Ridder has changed camps ahead of his permanent move up tolight heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The Dutchman is scheduled to take on RomanDolidze at 205 pounds next, on Aug. 22 at Golden 1 Center inSacramento, California. He recently revealed that he has partedways with Kill Cliff FC and joined another Florida gym, American Top Team, ahead of his UFC light heavyweightdebut.
The former OneChampionship two-division ***** leholder explains that while hereally enjoyed the atmosphere at Kill Cliff FC, the level oftraining has allegedly not been up to mark in the last couple ofmonths. One of de Ridder's favorite coaches, Aung La NSang, recently opened his own gym, which limited his time atKill Cliff FC.
He also claims that head coach Henri Hooft has not been around muchover the last couple of months due to personal reasons and thatmany top fighters allegedly left Kill Cliff FC as the level oftraining declined.
"I did switch up my camp," de Ridder told Full Mount MMA. "So, I'vebeen at ATT this camp, which is a big change. I've been able towork with a lot of high-level guys, which is cool - coaches andtraining partners… Some stuff was just not good at Kill Cliff thelast six months. Henri had some personal stuff. He had been out ofthe gym for a couple of months. And Aung La, my guy I like to workwith a lot, he opened his own gym. So, he hadn't been at Kill Cliffmuch. And a lot of big guys left because just the content of theclasses was not that good. So, it was time to make a change,unfortunately. Cause I really liked them, really liked theatmosphere, liked everything there."
After getting off to a sensational start in the UFC, going 4-0 withwins over Bo Nickal andRobertWhittaker, de Ridder (21-4) suffered consecutive losses toBrendanAllen and CaioBorralho, prompting the move up to light heavyweight. He'slooking to return to winning ways at UFC Sacramento.
#level #liked #aung #henri
The Dutchman is scheduled to take on RomanDolidze at 205 pounds next, on Aug. 22 at Golden 1 Center inSacramento, California. He recently revealed that he has partedways with Kill Cliff FC and joined another Florida gym, American Top Team, ahead of his UFC light heavyweightdebut.
The former OneChampionship two-division ***** leholder explains that while hereally enjoyed the atmosphere at Kill Cliff FC, the level oftraining has allegedly not been up to mark in the last couple ofmonths. One of de Ridder's favorite coaches, Aung La NSang, recently opened his own gym, which limited his time atKill Cliff FC.
He also claims that head coach Henri Hooft has not been around muchover the last couple of months due to personal reasons and thatmany top fighters allegedly left Kill Cliff FC as the level oftraining declined.
"I did switch up my camp," de Ridder told Full Mount MMA. "So, I'vebeen at ATT this camp, which is a big change. I've been able towork with a lot of high-level guys, which is cool - coaches andtraining partners… Some stuff was just not good at Kill Cliff thelast six months. Henri had some personal stuff. He had been out ofthe gym for a couple of months. And Aung La, my guy I like to workwith a lot, he opened his own gym. So, he hadn't been at Kill Cliffmuch. And a lot of big guys left because just the content of theclasses was not that good. So, it was time to make a change,unfortunately. Cause I really liked them, really liked theatmosphere, liked everything there."
After getting off to a sensational start in the UFC, going 4-0 withwins over Bo Nickal andRobertWhittaker, de Ridder (21-4) suffered consecutive losses toBrendanAllen and CaioBorralho, prompting the move up to light heavyweight. He'slooking to return to winning ways at UFC Sacramento.
#level #liked #aung #henri
22 days ago
Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Let's start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
Former UFC ******* le challenger (and current ******* yst) arrested for alleged felony domestic violence, faces 20 years in prison: Anthony Smith seemed to be in a weird mental ******* e after his UFC retirement, but this is SHOCKING!
Reinier de Ridder 'never going back' to middleweight after UFC Sacramento — 'Dumbest s—t I've ever done': I can't help but think de Ridder's best chance at UFC gold was at Middleweight, but I cannot blame him for not wanting to suffer the misery and longterm affects of that drastic cut.
Sean Strickland details disturbing Russian Roulette incident: 'It still gives me chills': I'm genuinely happy Strickland is in a better mental ******* e nowadays.
#mental #midnight #mania
Let's start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
Former UFC ******* le challenger (and current ******* yst) arrested for alleged felony domestic violence, faces 20 years in prison: Anthony Smith seemed to be in a weird mental ******* e after his UFC retirement, but this is SHOCKING!
Reinier de Ridder 'never going back' to middleweight after UFC Sacramento — 'Dumbest s—t I've ever done': I can't help but think de Ridder's best chance at UFC gold was at Middleweight, but I cannot blame him for not wanting to suffer the misery and longterm affects of that drastic cut.
Sean Strickland details disturbing Russian Roulette incident: 'It still gives me chills': I'm genuinely happy Strickland is in a better mental ******* e nowadays.
#mental #midnight #mania
1 month ago
Despite investing considerable resources into finding Matt Ryan's replacement, the Atlanta Falcons will enter yet another season with question marks at the quarterback position. Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke and Kirk Cousins all struck out with the QB1 job.
The jury is still out on third-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr., but his ACL tear in 2025 certainly didn't help his chances. Penix's injury left the team in need of a starting-caliber QB, and they landed one in veteran Tua Tagovailoa.
The Falcons will have an open competition between Penix and Tagovailoa when training camp begins later this month, but Tua has the early advantage just by being healthy.
So, if Tua wins the starting job, what exactly should fans expect from the former top-five pick?
CBS Sports released a detailed breakdown of the four quarterbacks who changed teams over the offseason, featuring stat projections for each player. Zachary Pereles thinks Tagovailoa will win the starting job but only last 10 games.
The jury is still out on third-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr., but his ACL tear in 2025 certainly didn't help his chances. Penix's injury left the team in need of a starting-caliber QB, and they landed one in veteran Tua Tagovailoa.
The Falcons will have an open competition between Penix and Tagovailoa when training camp begins later this month, but Tua has the early advantage just by being healthy.
So, if Tua wins the starting job, what exactly should fans expect from the former top-five pick?
CBS Sports released a detailed breakdown of the four quarterbacks who changed teams over the offseason, featuring stat projections for each player. Zachary Pereles thinks Tagovailoa will win the starting job but only last 10 games.
1 month ago
New matchups have been revealed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to Sacramento, California.
A Fight Night event is confirmed for Aug. 22 at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center. It will feature a high-stakes middleweight clash in the main event, with a light heavyweight bout in the co-headliner. Other key fights for UFC Sacramento have also been unveiled.
The UFC returns to Sacramento on Aug. 22 with a middleweight showdown between Anthony Hernandez and Gregory Rodrigues in the main event. Hernandez will look to bounce back after his loss to Sean Strickland this past February, while Rodrigues is on a three-fight win streak, eager to pick up a fourth.
In the co-main event, Reinier de Ridder faces Roman Dolidze at 205 pounds. After back-to-back defeats at middleweight to Brendan Allen and Caio Borralho, de Ridder is moving up to the light heavyweight division. Notably, the Dutchman’s opponent, Dolidze, is also on a two-fight losing skid.
Elsewhere on the card, Serghei Spivac takes on Vitor Petrino and Kennedy Nzechukwu collides with Shamil Gaziev at heavyweight. From the heaviest division in the UFC to the lightest, two women’s strawweight bouts are also on tap for UFC Sacramento: Carli Judice vs. Jeisla Chaves and Shanelle Dyer vs. Elise Reed. Additionally, Contender Series signee Wes Schultz will lock horns with Jackson McVey at middleweight.
More fights are expected to be announced over the coming weeks.
A Fight Night event is confirmed for Aug. 22 at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center. It will feature a high-stakes middleweight clash in the main event, with a light heavyweight bout in the co-headliner. Other key fights for UFC Sacramento have also been unveiled.
The UFC returns to Sacramento on Aug. 22 with a middleweight showdown between Anthony Hernandez and Gregory Rodrigues in the main event. Hernandez will look to bounce back after his loss to Sean Strickland this past February, while Rodrigues is on a three-fight win streak, eager to pick up a fourth.
In the co-main event, Reinier de Ridder faces Roman Dolidze at 205 pounds. After back-to-back defeats at middleweight to Brendan Allen and Caio Borralho, de Ridder is moving up to the light heavyweight division. Notably, the Dutchman’s opponent, Dolidze, is also on a two-fight losing skid.
Elsewhere on the card, Serghei Spivac takes on Vitor Petrino and Kennedy Nzechukwu collides with Shamil Gaziev at heavyweight. From the heaviest division in the UFC to the lightest, two women’s strawweight bouts are also on tap for UFC Sacramento: Carli Judice vs. Jeisla Chaves and Shanelle Dyer vs. Elise Reed. Additionally, Contender Series signee Wes Schultz will lock horns with Jackson McVey at middleweight.
More fights are expected to be announced over the coming weeks.
3 months ago
No love.
Top Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight contender Brendan Allen makes his first appearance of the year when he takes on unranked knockout artist Edmen Shahbazyan in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 118 this weekend (Sat., June 6, 2026) inside the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Allen being matched up with Shahbazyan came completely out of left field.
After all, “All In” is coming off a huge win over Reinier de Ridder, making the former two-division ONE champion quit on the stool, which pushed Allen to No. 5 in the Middleweight rankings. Shahbazyan, meanwhile, spent last year rebuilding himself and is currently unranked.
So, the optics of the matchmaking weren’t great.
Top Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight contender Brendan Allen makes his first appearance of the year when he takes on unranked knockout artist Edmen Shahbazyan in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 118 this weekend (Sat., June 6, 2026) inside the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Allen being matched up with Shahbazyan came completely out of left field.
After all, “All In” is coming off a huge win over Reinier de Ridder, making the former two-division ONE champion quit on the stool, which pushed Allen to No. 5 in the Middleweight rankings. Shahbazyan, meanwhile, spent last year rebuilding himself and is currently unranked.
So, the optics of the matchmaking weren’t great.
