Roman Dolidze vs. Reinier de Ridder
UFC Fight Night · August 22, 2026 · Golden 1 Center
If de Ridder gets this to the mat early, his submission chains are a level above anything Dolidze has dealt with outside the Hernandez fight, and that one ended in a choke. The danger for RDR is his fading durability, as corner stoppages and hard knockdowns have piled up, and Dolidze hits harder than anyone he has faced in the UFC. Expect de Ridder to win the grappling exchanges and threaten the neck, but he has to survive the pocket to get there. Lean de Ridder by submission in the middle rounds, with a Dolidze knockout as the clear alternate ending.
The Matchup
Two former middleweight contenders move up to 205 pounds off losing skids, and the loser here falls out of the contender picture entirely. The grappling math favors de Ridder on paper: Dolidze defends only about a third of takedowns against him, and RDR's clinch trips and back-takes are exactly the weapons that beat Dolidze before. But Dolidze is the far heavier hitter, and de Ridder has been badly hurt on the feet in both of his recent losses. De Ridder's 78-inch reach and southpaw look complicate Dolidze's plodding entries, while Dolidze's strength could stuff the trips and turn this into an ugly clinch war.
Tale of the Tape
| Roman Dolidze | Reinier de Ridder | |
|---|---|---|
| 15-5 | Record | 21-4 |
| 38 | Age | 35 |
| 6'2" | Height | 6'4" |
| 76" | Reach | 78" |
| Orthodox | Stance | Southpaw |
| Georgia | Country | Netherlands |
| American Kickboxing Academy | Team | Combat Brothers |
The Numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
Roman Dolidze
“The Caucasian”
Roman Dolidze is a Georgian bruiser who didn't start MMA until age 28 and still fought his way into the middleweight top 15. He mixes raw physical strength, clinch grappling, and sneaky leg-lock skills with legitimate knockout power. Back-to-back losses to Anthony Hernandez and Christian Leroy Duncan have him moving up to light heavyweight, the division where he began his UFC run. At 38, this is likely his last big push, and a bigger, stronger Dolidze at 205 could be a problem.
- LChristian Leroy Duncan · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night 270 · March 21, 2026
- LAnthony Hernandez · Submission (rear-naked choke)UFC on ESPN: Dolidze vs. Hernandez · August 9, 2025
- WMarvin Vettori · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs. Dolidze 2 · March 15, 2025
Reinier de Ridder
“RDR”
Reinier de Ridder is a lanky Dutch submission ace who once held ONE Championship belts in two divisions at the same time. Thirteen of his 21 wins come by submission, built on suffocating clinch work, trips, and relentless top control. His UFC middleweight run peaked with a win over Robert Whittaker before back-to-back losses to Brendan Allen and Caio Borralho stalled the climb. He now moves up to light heavyweight, where he was a champion in ONE, hoping the bigger frame fits him better.
- LCaio Borralho · Decision (unanimous)UFC 326 · March 7, 2026
- LBrendan Allen · TKO (corner stoppage)UFC Fight Night: de Ridder vs. Allen · October 18, 2025
- WRobert Whittaker · Decision (split)UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. de Ridder · July 26, 2025