UFC 281: Brad Riddell reflects on recent UFC run and split-camp approach for bout against Renato Moicano

Brad Riddell will return to the octagon at UFC 281 in New York this weekend. Photo / Photosport

By Christopher Reive in New York

Mixed martial arts is a game of inches. Sometimes you’re the hammer, sometimes you’re the nail.

All it takes is one mistake and a good outing can turn bad, quickly.

It’s a position Kiwi UFC lightweight Brad Riddell has been in recently as, after rattling off four wins to begin his UFC career, he has been stopped in his last two bouts and fallen back outside the division’s top 15.

He will look to rectify that this Sunday at UFC 281 in New York when he squares off against Brazilian veteran Renato Moicano at Madison Square Garden.

It’s been a feature of Riddell’s UFC run that he has only been matched up against high-level opponents, and that trend continues with Moicano.

Reflecting on his run with the promotion to date and his recent losses — a third-round knockout against Rafael Fiziev and a first-round submission against Jalin Turner — Riddell said it was all a part of competing in the sport.

“It’s just part of the game. What I took away from it? It sucks, losing obviously sucks, but it’s just the way of the world sometimes,” Riddell said.

“I feel like if you’re in the UFC and you’re looking for favourable fights or someone below your skill level, I don’t think it’s the place for you. I’ve had two losses, but I don’t think they’re a portrayal of my skill level going down at all.

“The fight with Rafa [Fiziev] was a very good fight until I made a mistake at the end, then the last one, I got rushed and caught off guard. It was just two mistakes. I didn’t get run through at all — like it was a long fight and I just got outclassed the whole time — not taking anything away from those guys, but I made mistakes and paid for them. I’m 100 per cent confident.”

Against Moicano, Riddell faces another high-level opponent and one who is good in all aspects of mixed martial arts.

It’s a bout that has many fans excited — as well as Riddell — given the level of both fighters.

“I’m pumped as. The guy is good at everything right? Good striker, good grappler, he’s a veteran, so I’m super excited,” Riddell said.

“It’s going to be a bit of a barnburner.”

Riddell has taken a different approach to his preparations for this bout, splitting his camp between training in Thailand at Bangtao Muay Thai and MMA with Frank and George Hickman, before returning to New Zealand to finish his camp with his City Kickboxing team.

The Hickman brothers have long been in association with City Kickboxing, having worked with most of the Auckland gym’s top fighters in the past, with Frank still often travelling to New Zealand to help train the gym’s top fighters.

For Riddell, who had travelled to Thailand with his partner and daughter with plans of a shorter visit to the gym at the start of his camp, the training was to such a high level he chose to stay on a bit longer.

“I just went over to see the boys and how the new gym was going. I really liked it. There was some awesome training there so I decided to extend it a little bit longer and came home to finish the camp.

“Sometimes it’s nice to change things up, so I changed things up a little bit then came home and finished it off with the killers I’ve always been with.”

Riddell will be one of four Kiwis on the card. UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya puts his title on the line against former kickboxing foe Alex Pereira — an opponent Riddell says “has a special place in Izzy’s heart” given their well-documented history. Fellow lightweight Dan Hooker returns to put his No 12 ranking on the line against surging Peruvian contender Claudio Puelles, while light heavyweight Carlos Ulberg opens the show against the well-rounded Nicolae Negumereanu.