Reinier de Ridder Plans UFC Light Heavyweight Move

Reinier de Ridder, a former two-division champion in ONE Championship, announced plans to move up to the UFC light heavyweight division following his second consecutive loss at UFC 326 in Las Vegas. The 35-year-old Dutch fighter fell to Caio Borralho via unanimous decision in a middleweight bout at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, prompting the shift after a promising start in the promotion.

De Ridder, known as The Dutch Knight, entered UFC 326 seeking to rebound from a submission loss to Brendan Allen in October at UFC Vancouver. Instead, he struggled against Borralho's precise striking and grappling, absorbing significant damage over three rounds despite occasional offensive bursts. Judges scored the fight 30-27 across the board for the Brazilian, who improved to 17-2. Prior to this skid, de Ridder had compiled a 4-0 record in the UFC since his November 2024 debut, with victories including a decision over Kevin Holland, a submission of undefeated prospect Bo Nickal, and a unanimous decision against former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. His overall professional record stands at 21-4, with 18 finishes, including 13 submissions and five knockouts.