Brad Riddell has decided to take some indefinite time off after UFC 281.
Riddell (10-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) suffered his third consecutive loss when he was submitted in the first round by Renato Moicano this past Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The City Kickboxing fighter went on Instagram to post an image of his gloves off, explaining that he’s burned out and won’t be competing until he has the desire to again.
“I appreciate everyone that has been supporting me and standing by my side from day one though to these last 2 lackluster performances. 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 it’s 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 awhile. 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 over due surgeries to be addressed as well.“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.
“I appreciate everyone always supporting me .
Quake.”
Riddell started out his octagon tenure at 4-0 before getting finished in his past three fights by Rafael Fiziev, Jalin Turner and Moicano. His most recent octagon win came in a Fight of the Night over Drew Dober at UFC 263.
