The main event of UFC Vancouver turned into a nightmare for Reinier de Ridder when he faced Brendan Allen in what was billed as a potential middleweight title eliminator. The Dutchman entered the Octagon on a four-fight win streak and was originally scheduled to face Anthony Hernandez on the October 18 Fight Night card. However, after ‘Ruffy’ withdrew due to injury, Allen stepped in at short notice.
Many thought it would be an easy night for the former ONE FC double champion, but things quickly went downhill. After four grueling laps, The Knight’s corner threw in the towelunwilling to let him continue, giving Allen a shocking victory. While De Ridder initially spoke modestly about the loss, he now comes with a surprising revelation about what really happened that night and about the condition of his body three weeks after the card.
Reinier de Ridder admits he is still out of breath three weeks after the UFC Vancouver bout
In one recent interview with Submission Radiode Ridder opened up about the physical challenges he has faced since the October 18 card and even before. He admitted, “I still feel like sh*t, when I walk up the stairs I’m out of breath.”
When asked about the specifics of his illness, the host pointed to Norovirus, the same condition Alex Pereira reportedly struggled with before his first fight against Magomed Ankalaev in March 2025.
However, De Ridder clarified: “Yes, there’s a lot of information coming back from the blood work. I don’t want to be too specific or I’ll never get a rematch, but there are some physical things that don’t add up, and I’m going to see if I can fix all of that before I come back.”
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The Dutchman further explained that this is not a new issue. “Like I said, it’s something I’ve struggled with in the past, with the second one [Anatoly Malykhin] fighting, and I thought I had solved it, but apparently not. I’m working on figuring it all out, getting everything sorted out and coming up with a good plan to resolve this.”
De Ridder also acknowledged how difficult it has been to stay away from the Octagon. “It’s hard to take time off because I want to get back to it as soon as possible…I’m looking for a new obsession.”
Reflecting on his preparation for UFC Vancouver, the former ONE FC champion admitted his fight camp was far from ideal. “Yes, most importantly, I messed that up, I messed that up big time. Looking back on training camp, I just pushed myself way too far, and basically the whole camp I felt sluggish, very exhausted and very tired after every session and during every session.”
Reinier de Ridder reveals he wasn’t 100% heading into his UFC Abu Dhabi fight against Robert Whittaker
He even revealed that the same issue affected his previous fight in Abu Dhabi against Robert Whittaker. “To be honest, I didn’t even feel like myself in the Robert camp in recent weeks. But I was very stubborn, as a Dutchman should be and kept pushing myself, going harder and harder and harder. And yes, that also showed in the fight.”
Finally, De Ridder admitted that his brutal schedule over the past year took its toll on his body. “And I’m not even sure if it was the weight cut. It must have played a role because it was very difficult to lose weight this time. But most importantly, I beat up my body like crazy this year. And I went too far.”
The Dutchman’s actions in Vancouver quickly became a hot topic among MMA fans. For those who don’t know, the Knight is a huge middleweight, often cutting between 25 and 30 pounds to make the 185-pound limit. Do that several times a year can take a serious toll on the bodyand the Knight seems to be feeling the effects now.
Despite his honesty immediately after the fight, De Ridder found himself at the center of online trolling from fellow fighters. Khamzat Chimaev accused him of quitting mid-fight, while Paulo Costa and Sean Strickland took turns mocking the former double ONE Championship champion. To make matters worse, Nassourdine Imavov also participated in the spot.
For context, both De Ridder and Imavov were top contenders to face Chimaev next for the middleweight title. While the Frenchman strengthened his case with a dominant victory over Caio Borralho at UFC Paris, De Ridder’s loss to Brendan Allen derailed his momentum.
The setback came after an incredibly busy schedule, with UFC Vancouver marking De Ridder’s fifth fight in less than a year since his UFC debut last November. Before that defeat, he had built strong momentum with victories over Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland, Bo Nickal and former 185-pound champion Robert Whittaker.
Now all eyes are on how the Dutchman recovers from this difficult stretch and charts his path back to middleweight contention.
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