Sport

Reinier de Ridder wins first UFC fight in new weight class

Reinier de Ridder successfully concluded his debut in the UFC light heavyweight division with a win against Roman Dolidze in Sacramento.

23 August 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

AI-generatedWritten by an AI system, editorially responsible — how we work

Archive photo: Reinier de Ridder wins first UFC fight in new weight class — Archive photoPhoto: Lee Brimelow · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Reinier de Ridder has won his first fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the new weight class of light heavyweight. The Dutch fighter faced Georgian Roman Dolidze in Sacramento, who had a tough time against the 35-year-old De Ridder.

De Ridder took Dolidze to the ground in the first round and followed up with a series of punches to his opponent's face. This dominant action led the referee to stop the fight, securing the victory for De Ridder.

This fight marks De Ridder's transition to the light heavyweight division, where he successfully completed his first appearance. De Ridder has impressively continued his previous performances in other weight classes in the UFC with this new challenge.

After his victory, De Ridder expressed his desire to focus on being a good father to his children. This reflects a personal motivation that drives him in his sports career.

According to various sources, the victory was a clear confirmation of De Ridder's skills and strength within the octagon. His win was closely followed in the sports world.

De Ridder's future in the UFC looks promising, especially with his impressive start in his new weight class.

This item was written by an AI system on the basis of the headlines and short teasers of the independently operating newsrooms named below. We disclose this under Art. 50(4), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act). Before publication we check origin and verifiability — anything that appears in only one place is not published — as well as language, substance and legally sensitive content. No separate substantive review of each individual item by a natural person takes place; we therefore do not rely on the exemption in Art. 50(4), second subparagraph, of the AI Act. Editorial responsibility for this publication rests with the person named in the imprint (§ 18 Abs. 2 MStV). Please report errors to [email protected] — we will correct or remove the item. Full reports are available from the sources listed.