UFC 276: Brad Riddell eager to end seven-month break with return to octagon against Jalin Turner

Brad Riddell reacts after defeating Drew Dober. Photo / Getty Images

There are levels to mixed martial arts, and Brad Riddell knows he's at the pointy end of the game.

Riddell burst onto the scene with the UFC at the end of 2019 as a must-watch fighter and has lived up to that in every performance inside the octagon.

After winning four straight to earn a place in the top 15 in the lightweight division, the Kiwi slugger suffered a setback when he was stopped in the third round by Rafael Fiziev (now No 10 in the division).

However, when he puts his place in the rankings on the line against American Jalin Turner at UFC 276 in Las Vegas on Sunday, Riddell will be looking to show just how big a step up it is to take on a ranked fighter.

"I'm going to go out there and show what I'm made of," Riddell said. "I just think I'm on another level and being in the rankings is hard. He's more than welcome to come and try, but it's not going to happen this week."

Turner's UFC career so far has been unique. He made an unsuccessful debut as a short notice replacement at welterweight in 2018. In his next three fights, he had a late change in opponent twice – winning both of those bouts while losing the other.

However, on the back of two impressive outings, he has earned his shot at the top 15.

"He's doing really well," Riddell said of Turner. "He's had some good wins, a couple of good stoppages, but I'm a different calibre of fighter. I believe I'm well above the skill level of him and this is going to be a very, very hard test for him."

The bout brings an end to a seven-month break for the Kiwi, who made a conscious decision to take some time off after dropping his last bout.

"I was obviously gutted," Riddell said reflecting on his first loss in the UFC. "I was really enjoying that fight and I think everyone else was enjoying that fight as well.

"Unfortunately I just made a mistake against one of the best guys in the world and I paid for it. I learnt a lesson and took some time off. It's the first time I've had a decent amount of time off in my career."

While it was a good opportunity for 30-year-old to reset, he had hoped the layoff would only be for three or four months - not more than half a year.

"Not for lack of trying. I was trying to fight earlier, but this is how it is," Riddell said.

"I definitely didn't want seven months away. I was trying to fight after about three or four, but there's only 15 guys in the rankings and if two get matched up, then two more get matched up, you're starting to lose some guys, and when you're [ranked] 14, the guys at the front of the pack are obviously out of the question, so you get pretty limited about who you can fight.

"I just said if no one is available who is ranked, I'll fight anybody. I want to fight; I'm a fighter's fighter."

UFC 276 is headlined by Riddell's teammates from Auckland's City Kickboxing, with Australian Alexander Volkanovski putting his featherweight title on the line in a trilogy fight against Max Holloway in the co-main event, before middleweight champion Israel Adesanya looks to defend his place at the top of the heap against Jared Cannonier in the evening's main event.

UFC 276

T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. Sunday.

Early prelims (UFC Fight Pass) - 10am

Prelims - ft. Brad Riddell (ESPN, Prime, Sky Sport Now, UFC Fight Pass) - 12pm

Main card (pay-per-view) - ft. Israel Adesanya; Alexander Volkanovski (Sky Arena, Spark Sport, Sky Sport Now, UFC Fight Pass) - 2pm