Brad Riddell will return to the UFC octagon this weekend. Photo / Photosport
Brad Riddell will return to the UFC octagon this weekend. Photo / Photosport
When Kiwi UFC lightweight star Brad Riddell got the offer for his next bout, he was left with a choice: step into the octagon against a friend, or wait until 2022 to get back to work.
With the majority of the ranked fighters in the UFC lightweight division unavailable, Riddellwas matched up against No 14-ranked Rafael Fiziev for a co-main event spot at this weekend's UFC fight night.
Riddell and Fiziev were training partners during Riddell's time at renowned gym Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand and remain friends. But as is a part of the job in the world's top mixed martial arts promotion, there is every chance you'll one day have to fight someone you're familiar with.
Speaking about the match up, Riddell said he had to take some time to consider it, but ultimately knew it was just a matter of time before Fiziev was the one standing across from him inside the cage.
"[Coach Eugene Bareman] said to have a think about it," Riddell recalled. "He told me what the deal was; that there wasn't anyone else to fight – well, nobody ranked – and if I didn't want the fight and wait for somebody ranked, it wasn't going to be until next year which was a little bit too long for me, so I just called Rafa and told him there wasn't anybody else for us to fight, because it was the same for him.
"It didn't happen that fast; it took me a few days to think about it. I knew I was going to have to fight him eventually but I thought it was going to be a little bit later when we were a bit higher ranked. But it is what it is – we're fighting a little bit earlier than intended, but I'm sure it's still going to be the same exciting fight for everybody."
Rafael Fiziev (right) has won four of his first five bouts inside the UFC octagon. Photo / Getty Images
The booking is one many fans of the sport have fantasised over in recent times and both fighters have exploded onto the scene since joining the UFC. Riddell, currently ranked No 12 in the division, is 4-0 in the UFC, with all four bouts against highly touted prospects or well-established opposition. Fiziev is 4-1 in his UFC career, having won four-straight since dropping his promotional debut.
Both coming from striking backgrounds, they bring a fan-friendly style to the octagon which shows in their combined five performance bonuses. On Sunday, they will square off in the co-main event, with only the bantamweight bout between former featherweight champion Jose Aldo and rising star Rob Font following them.
It's a big matchup in the landscape of the division, with the winner having the door opened to a shot at the top contenders, while the loser will see their momentum halted - if only temporarily.
Riddell said he was well aware of the hype surrounding the bout, but understood he had a job to do first and foremost.
"How do I feel about the hype? It always adds a little more pressure with everyone expecting this insanely crazy, spectacular fight, but sometimes it doesn't go that way," he said.
"It could be over quicker than anyone thinks, or it could go the distance or it could be a points game – you never know. People can get a little bit worked up; they're not the ones in there so I can understand why they get excited, but at the end of the day, you just have to win."
