Overview
- Reinier de Ridder moved up to light heavyweight and stopped Roman Dolidze by TKO at 4:01 in the first round on Saturday after controlling the fight on top.
- Dolidze repeatedly pulled guard and chased leg locks, including inverting for a kneebar, which failed and left him open to roughly 100 ground strikes from de Ridder.
- De Ridder appeared large and healthy at 205 pounds and framed the weight-class change as a response to damaging middleweight cuts and a bid to preserve his career.
- The quick, one-sided finish accelerates de Ridder’s start at light heavyweight and could reshape near-term matchmaking, while observers have questioned Dolidze’s UFC future after the loss.
- Oddsmakers had heavily favored de Ridder at -430 and some analysts predicted a decision, so the early stoppage represents a clear momentum shift that follows de Ridder’s recent ups and downs in the UFC and his prior success as a ONE Championship titleholder.