Brad Riddell to Step Away from MMA for ‘A Good While’ After UFC 281 Defeat

Brad Riddell has lost the drive to compete on the heels of three straight losses in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The 31-year-old City Kickboxing representative announced in a social media post that he plans to step away from mixed martial arts for the time being. While it wasn’t a retirement announcement, Riddell said that his hiatus will likely last “a good while.”

“I appreciate everyone that has been supporting me and standing by my side from day one though to these last two lackluster performances,” Riddell wrote. “I’m going to step away from competing in MMA for a good while until the fire to compete comes back. I’m not performing close to my capability, and it’s a dangerous job if you’re not fully present. I’ve been training hard for 15 years, in and out of camps with not enough rest or balance and it’s massively taken its physical and mental toll on me. There has not been a year since I was 17 that I have not fought.

“I know this is the right choice because, as I write this, I feel a sense of relief for finally voicing what I had been feeling for a while. I wanted to have one last crack at MSG to see if the feelings from the last camp were just one-off, but sadly they were not. It’s a hard pill to swallow, as this is what I’ve done my entire life and fighting was my first love. But sometimes you just have to face it. There are a few overdue surgeries to be addressed as well.”

Riddell succumbed to a first-round rear-naked choke against Renato Carneiro at UFC 281 on Saturday night, the third straight time he has been finished in the Octagon. “Quake” was also submitted by Jalin Turner at UFC 276 and suffered a knockout loss against Rafael Fiziev at UFC on ESPN 31. The Auckland, New Zealand, native gained recognition by winning his first four promotional appearances, a run that was part of a seven-fight winning streak overall.

“I will keep training and teaching, but my energy that was all consumed by the sport will be directed at my family. The itch will come back, But a long time off is needed,” Riddell wrote.

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