UFC Vancouver: Reinier de Ridder Says Brendan Allen is a ‘Bit Sloppy’ in Grappling
Reinier de Ridder is not impressed by Brendan Allen’s grappling game.
With a potential title opportunity on the line, ‘RDR’ goes into this Saturday’s UFC Vancouver headliner determined to make a statement. Originally, he was scheduled to square off with Anthony Hernandez, but after ‘Fluffy’ bowed out due to an injury, Allen stepped in.
Looking ahead to their high-stakes scrap in The Great White North, de Ridder offered his honest take on Allen’s mat work.
“Brendan’s boxing is very, very good, very crisp,” de Ridder told MMA Fighting. “He likes to get in the pocket – pretty quick hands, throws nice combinations, has a decent right mid kick. His grappling is good but a bit sloppy at times. He falls off the back very frequently. His wrestling is decent, has decent takedowns, decent takedown defense – not too great.
“The thing that he lacks the most is he kind of fades in the later rounds. He starts very hard, very sharp, and very good in the first round, but then in the later rounds, he kind of fades a little bit. He doesn’t even look that tired, but I don’t know, something changes and he’s not the same guy.”
Storming into the UFC less than a year ago, de Ridder has already earned big wins over names like Kevin Holland, Bo Nickal, and, most recently, Robert Whittaker. He now sits as the fourth-ranked contender in the middleweight division, and one impressive showing away from a shot at the division’s top dog, Khamzat Chimaev.
As for Allen, the South Carolina native could skyrocket himself into the top five with a win on October 18, putting himself on the cusp of title contention despite having lost two of his last three inside the Octagon.
