Overview
- De Ridder defeated Roman Dolidze by TKO (punches) at 4:01 of Round 1 at UFC Fight Night 285 in Sacramento after taking top position and unloading sustained ground strikes.
- The finish came after Dolidze pulled guard and hunted leg locks, which de Ridder neutralized while referee Frank Trigg repeatedly warned Dolidze to improve his defense before the stoppage.
- Broadcast and post‑fight reports counted an unusually high volume of ground strikes—estimates ranged from about 71 significant strikes to roughly 100 total ground strikes—underlining how one‑sided the sequence became.
- De Ridder, a former two‑division ONE champion, moved up from middleweight after two straight losses and has said harsh weight cuts hurt his performance; he called for a top‑five light‑heavyweight opponent in his Octagon interview.
- Dolidze suffered his third straight UFC loss, posted an Instagram message accepting criticism and saying he will return to Georgia on Sept. 19, leaving questions about his immediate future in the promotion.