Outside Source
De Ridder (21-3) was originally scheduled to face Anthony Hernandez at UFC Vancouver this past October. However, Allen (26-7) replaced Hernandez on short notice after “Fluffy” pulled out due to an injury. De Ridder was a sizeable favorite going into the fight, and the odds seemed justified as “The Dutch Knight” dominated Allen in the opening stanza. However, Allen took over in the latter rounds and unleashed severe punishment on the feet, forcing De Ridder’s corner to throw in the towel before the final round.
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De Ridder is keen on avenging his upset loss against Allen. The former ONE Championship double champ is confident that he beats Allen every night of the week. While de Ridder has admittedly tried to take the loss in his stride, he can’t get over it.
Any Given Night
“1000% [I want a rematch]. I think the way that first round went is how the entire fight should have gone,” De Ridder told Submission Radio. “Even though I had a full crash, I had no energy in my body, I was hardly able to lift a leg or an arm up, I’d have still finished him if I had five more seconds in the third round… I just believe I beat this guy every night of the year except for that one… I tried to let go of it, I tried to be zen about it, not worry too much about it. But I need to get that one back.”
De Ridder started his UFC journey with three straight finishes, followed by a split-decision win over Robert Whittaker. While de Ridder was once being touted as a threat to Khamzat Chimaev, he has slightly lost relevance in the title picture following his loss against Allen. De Ridder will have an opportunity to climb his way back when he faces Caio Borralho (17-2) at UFC 326 on March 7 in Las Vegas.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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