'TUF 16' RUNNER-UP MIKE RICCI HEADED TO LIGHTWEIGHT, EYES UFC 158 SLOT
BY DANN STUPP AND JOHN MORGAN ON DEC 16, 2012 AT 12:00 PM ET

LAS VEGAS – As expected Mike Ricci is returning to his normal weight class.

Following a runner-up finish on the recently concluded 16th season of "The Ultimate Fighter," Ricci said he's dropping from welterweight to lightweight.

He's also aiming for a spot on the recently announced UFC 158 card, which takes place March 16 in Montreal, where Ricci trains with Tristar Gym and event headliner Georges St-Pierre.

Ricci was one of the early favorites to win "TUF 16," which concluded with The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale on Saturday at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. In the FX-televised co-headliner, Colton Smith (4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) earned a shutout decision victory over Ricci (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who couldn't overcome his opponent's relentless and smothering style.

Still, to make it to the final two of the 32-man welterweight tournament was an accomplishment for a natural 155-pounder.

"I knew sooner or later one of those welterweights was going to get me, right?" Ricci told MMAjunkie.com. "I had success throughout the show. I fought four times at welterweight and won all four times, but all four times I was undersized. Every time I clinched, I felt it. I knew it'd be the same thing this time.

"I knew either Colton was going to grind me up and execute his game plan, or I was going to knock him out. It was one or the other. Obviously, I had a bit of frustration throughout the fight not being able to disengage with his clinch."

Smith, who's also considering a move down to lightweight, said he had to focus his game plan around Ricci's striking. While it didn't produce the most exciting bout, it got the job done. But Smith said he sees a bright future for Ricci, especially once he drops down a weight class.

"He's a very precise striker," Smith said. "You can't make a mistake with him. He'll knock you out. We saw that during the show. He's a 155-er and fought a bunch of 170-ers and did an awesome job on the show."

With UFC 158 still three months away, Ricci has time to recover from this weekend's bout and shed any extra weight for a drop down to lightweight.

"See you at 155lbs march 16th at UFC in Montreal," he tweeted today.