TLDR
- Reinier de Ridder and Roman Dolidze meet at light heavyweight on Saturday at UFC Sacramento
- De Ridder is a heavy favorite at -370 to -410 odds despite entering on a two-fight losing streak
- Both fighters are moving up from middleweight after consecutive losses in their recent outings
- De Ridder has won 13 of 21 career fights by submission as a former two-division ONE champion
- Dolidze has eight knockout wins and previously competed at light heavyweight with three UFC wins
Sources: clutchpoints.com | mmamania.com | lowkickmma.com
Reinier de Ridder and Roman Dolidze will fight at light heavyweight this Saturday at UFC Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center. The bout sits on the main card beneath the Anthony Hernandez vs Gregory Rodrigues headliner.
De Ridder enters the fight at 21-4 overall and 4-2 in the UFC. The Dutch fighter has lost his last two fights, most recently dropping a unanimous decision to Caio Borralho at UFC 326 in March 2026.
Before that, he suffered a fourth-round TKO loss to Brendan Allen in October 2025. Those defeats ended a four-fight winning streak that included finishes of Bo Nickal and Kevin Holland.
The former two-division ONE Championship titleholder has won 13 of his 21 career fights by submission. His move to light heavyweight marks his first time competing at 205 pounds in the UFC.
Dolidze brings a 15-5 record into the fight. The Georgian fighter is also coming off back-to-back losses in the middleweight division.
He lost a unanimous decision to Christian Leroy Duncan at UFC Fight Night in March 2026. That followed a fourth-round submission loss to Anthony Hernandez in August 2025.
Latest updated card for #UFCSacramento by @3KFighting 👊🏼 pic.twitter.com/eQN1yyhJ5l
— 3KFighting (@3KFighting) August 17, 2026
Experience at Light Heavyweight
Dolidze has competed at light heavyweight before in his career. He holds three UFC wins at 205 pounds, including victories over Khadis Ibragimov, John Allan and Anthony Smith.
He has eight knockout wins and three submission wins on his professional record. His knockout power has produced highlight finishes, including a stoppage of Kevin Holland.
De Ridder stands 6-foot-4 with a 79-inch reach. He holds a three-inch height advantage over Dolidze in this matchup.
Betting Odds and Fight Strategy
De Ridder opened as a heavy favorite with odds ranging from -350 to -410 across different sportsbooks. Dolidze sits as an underdog at +285 to +320.
The odds suggest an 80 percent probability of a de Ridder victory. A $100 bet on de Ridder at -370 would profit about $27, while the same bet on Dolidze at +290 would return $290 in profit.
De Ridder fought five times in 12 months at age 35 while cutting weight for middleweight. The demanding schedule and weight cuts preceded his current two-fight skid.
Dolidze submitted once in his professional career when Hernandez caught him in the fourth round. De Ridder’s submission skills provide a clear path to victory if the fight goes to the ground.
Both fighters prefer to clinch and work for takedowns from body lock positions. De Ridder throws knees and short punches effectively in close quarters.
Dolidze holds a black belt in jiu-jitsu and performs well from his back, which is unusual in modern mixed martial arts. He could find success if he gets de Ridder to the ground first.
De Ridder has been stopped in three of his four career defeats. Dolidze’s knockout power represents a real threat even as a heavy underdog.
The fight takes place Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Both fighters need a win to restart their UFC careers after recent struggles at middleweight.
