De Ridder Vows to 'Kill' Dolidze in Light Heavy Move

Reinier de Ridder says he plans to "kill" Roman Dolidze when the two former middleweights collide in a light heavyweight bout Saturday at UFC Sacramento.

"I'm just going to kill this motherf*cker," de Ridder said this week, previewing his move up to 205 pounds against a fellow middleweight refugee.

De Ridder comes into Golden 1 Center on a two-fight skid, having dropped a decision to Caio Borralho in his last outing. He's making the jump to light heavyweight not because he sees a stylistic problem at 185, but because the scale itself was breaking him down. "No, it's mostly the weight cut," de Ridder said. "I know what I can do. In the last fight, I wasn't able to push as hard as I would have liked to. I wasn't able to grapple as much."

Why De Ridder Picked Dolidze for His 205-Pound Debut

De Ridder views Dolidze as the ideal opponent to reintroduce himself at a new weight. "It's a perfect matchup," de Ridder said. "He's a vet, he's been around for a very long time. He's been in the top 10 for a long time at middleweight, and yeah, it's a cool matchup." Dolidze brings a similar resume: a longtime 185-pound fixture now testing the waters at light heavyweight himself. For de Ridder, beating a veteran with that kind of middleweight pedigree at the new weight would be the clearest possible statement that the cut, not the competition, was the problem all along.

A win Saturday snaps de Ridder's two-fight slide and opens his light heavyweight run at 1-0. He's said he wants to stay active at 205 and climb the rankings toward a title shot, which makes this fight less about revenge and more about establishing a baseline at a division he believes suits him better.

Betting Angle

Oddsmakers clearly buy the move. Sportsbooks have de Ridder as a heavy favorite, with lines in the range of -350 to -395 against Dolidze sitting around the +285 to +310 mark. That price reflects de Ridder's size and grappling pedigree translating well against a shorter, similarly weight-drained Dolidze, who turns 38 this year and is also fighting off a two-fight losing streak, making this a genuine must-win for him as well. For bettors, the number already prices in a fresh, un-cut de Ridder finding his form again. The value question is whether that price leaves any room for an upset if the extra pounds don't fix what ailed him against Borralho, or whether de Ridder's frustration and bold talk translate into the finish the odds are already anticipating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Reinier de Ridder moving up to light heavyweight?

Reinier de Ridder is moving up to light heavyweight for UFC Sacramento because he says the middleweight cut was limiting his grappling and output, not because of a stylistic problem at 185 pounds.

What is Reinier de Ridder's record heading into UFC Sacramento?

Reinier de Ridder enters UFC Sacramento with a 21-4 record, coming off a decision loss to Caio Borralho, and is on a two-fight losing streak.

Who is favored in the de Ridder vs. Dolidze odds?

Sportsbooks list Reinier de Ridder as a heavy favorite over Roman Dolidze, with lines around -350 to -395 for de Ridder against roughly +285 to +310 for Dolidze.