Reinier de Ridder is on a mission to rewrite history and avenge his shocking loss to Brendan Allen. This highly anticipated rematch is a burning desire for de Ridder, who is determined to prove that his defeat was a mere anomaly.
In their previous encounter at UFC Fight Night 262, Allen stopped de Ridder in the fourth round, a result that left the former two-division ONE Championship titleholder questioning what went wrong. De Ridder's body seemed to betray him, but he's not one to accept defeat easily. He's undergone rigorous testing to understand the physical breakdown and is now more motivated than ever to set the record straight.
But here's where it gets intriguing: De Ridder believes the fight should have ended differently. He claims that despite his exhaustion, he was on the verge of finishing Allen in the third round. A mere five seconds more, he argues, and the outcome would have been in his favor. This controversial interpretation of the fight's climax has fans divided, with some agreeing that de Ridder was robbed of a victory and others questioning his perspective.
"I want that rematch 1,000 percent," de Ridder asserted. "I believe I can beat him every time we fight, except for that one night. It's a blip on my record that I need to erase."
Before de Ridder can focus on a potential rematch, he must first overcome the challenge of Caio Borralho at UFC 326 in March. This rising middleweight contender stands in the way of de Ridder's path to redemption and a future at light heavyweight.
Will de Ridder get his wish and secure a rematch with Allen? And if so, can he truly avenge his loss and silence the critics? The MMA world eagerly awaits the answers to these burning questions.
