Summary
De Ridder promotes UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC
Ridder's Reinier He went from heaven to hell in the UFC in the space of a year. In October, in Canada, the Dutchman, considered the favorite to win the main fight, was surprised by... Brendan allenExhausted, the athlete was dominated by the American and, without strength, chose to give up the fight, losing by technical knockout in the fourth round. Months later, 'The Dutch Knight' was frank in addressing the tough setback.
In an interview with 'Submission Radio', De Ridder admitted that he made a serious mistake, not against Allen, but in his pre-fight preparation. According to the Dutchman, his preparation was so intense for the important duel that he ended up overdoing it and running out of energy.
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It's worth highlighting that the athlete possesses a large physique to compete in the middleweight division (up to 83,9 kg) and fought four times in 2025, something rare in MMA. With the defeat, De Ridder, who could have challenged for the title with a victory, is now far from challenging the champion. Khamzat Shimaev.
“The most important thing is that I messed everything up. I messed everything up badly. In camp, I was pushing myself too hard and, especially in the last week, I felt slow, very exhausted, very tired during and after each training session. To be honest, even in camp for Whittaker, I didn't even feel like myself in the last few weeks, but I was very stubborn, as a Dutchman should be, and I pushed myself to the limit. I kept pushing myself, I went further and further, and that's what was evident in the fight,” said the athlete.
For fans and experts, De Ridder's main problem was the weight cut and the number of times he had to sacrifice weight to stay within the 84 kg limit. However, the Dutchman disagrees, ruling out, for now, the possibility of competing in the light heavyweight division (up to 93 kg). According to the athlete, the main culprit for the loss to Allen was himself, as he ignored his team's requests not to fight.
“I don’t even know if it was the weight cut. It must have contributed, because it was very difficult to make weight this time, but the most important thing is that I punished my body too much this year and went too far. Everyone was saying, ‘Why are you fighting? Take some time off. Rest.’ I was the only idiot who said, ‘No, I’m going to fight,’” the athlete concluded.
De Ridder in the UFC
Ridder's ReinierThe 35-year-old made an immediate impact in the UFC. After achieving success in ONE Championship, the Dutchman debuted in the company in 2024 and won four fights in a row. However, in his last appearance, the athlete lost his undefeated record in the octagon to [opponent's name]. Brendan allen.
Currently, 'The Dutch Knight' is ranked eighth in the middleweight division. His main victories were against BoNickal, Kevin holland e Robert whittaker.
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