Outside Source
Reinier de Ridder is 4-1 in the Octagon since making his UFC debut last November. | Getty/UFC
While Reinier de Ridder’s first Octagon defeat has been discussed extensively since UFC Vancouver, the Dutchman has been silent on the matter until recently.
On Wednesday, the former ONE Championship two-division champion released his first statement on the bout in a social media post. De Ridder entered UFC Fight Night 262 on a four-bout promotional winning streak, but a fourth-round TKO defeat to short-notice foe Brendan Allen extinguished his title hopes for the time being.
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“I was not the best fighter in the cage Saturday and it stings,” de Ridder wrote. “But next to all the crazy highs, I am also grateful to experience the lows. So many people go through life at a constant 6/10, but as a fighter we get to experience the full set of options.”
The UFC Vancouver headliner was halted when de Ridder’s corner threw in the towel after the fourth round. “The Dutch Knight” enjoyed a strong opening stanza but gradually faded as the fight progressed — to a point where he was having visible difficulty making it back to his stool between rounds. De Ridder’s coach, Harun Ozkan, stated that he made the decision to throw in the towel to preserve his fighter’s health.
De Ridder: I Failed to Listen to My Body
As for de Ridder, he speculated that he might have overtrained in pursuit of UFC championship gold.
“If we have shared the mats you know I tend to work more and harder than anybody else,” de Ridder wrote. “But over the last two camps I might have exaggerated a little bit. I was so focused on getting that title and being ready once the chance came that I failed to listen to my body, and last Saturday that showed. I shall not stray the course but daddy is taking some time off, kids. I was not myself ,but I will be again. If you know me, you know what I’m coming for. Be nice out there and see you soon.”
The decision to take some time off is probably wise for de Ridder, who debuted in the Octagon in November 2024 and has since endured a demanding schedule that included five UFC fights in less than a year’s time.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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