Reinier de Ridder reveals ‘worst fight week’ led to UFC division change

Reinier de Ridder has revealed that his grueling weight cut ahead of his March matchup against Caio Borralho became the deciding factor in his move to light heavyweight. The Dutch striker, a former two-division ONE Championship champion, suffered a lopsided unanimous decision loss to Borralho at middleweight—a defeat that came on the heels of a previous stoppage loss to Brendan Allen, during which he visibly depleted his gas tank.

During an appearance on Full Send MMA, de Ridder opened up about the harrowing week leading into the Borralho bout. He described it as "the worst fight week I've ever had," surpassing even the difficult weight-cut circumstances that preceded his loss to Allen in Vancouver. "It was before the fight, during the weight cut I said, 'This is the last time. I'm never gonna do this again,'" de Ridder explained. While he stressed that the issues were not medical in nature and did not require hospitalization, he made clear the experience left him at a breaking point.

True to his word, de Ridder made the permanent jump to 205 pounds and competed against Roman Dolidze at UFC Sacramento. The move paid immediate dividends: he secured a first-round stoppage victory, returning to the winning column and vindicating his decision to abandon the grueling middleweight cut. For many fighters, extreme weight cuts can sap energy reserves and compromise performance, making de Ridder's willingness to move up and compete at a more natural weight a potentially crucial turning point in his UFC tenure.