Brad Riddell has kept his unbeaten UFC run alive at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi.
Taking on Brazilian fighter Alex Da Silva, it was a tough first round for Riddell, as the Brazilian scored an early takedown and appeared to come close to securing a guillotine before the bell rang to end the round.
The Christchurch born fighter found a new gear in the second round, however, finding his range and slowly starting to find Da Silva on the end of his punches.
After a tough first round, @bradquakeriddel picks up the volume and scores a unanimous decision win at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi!
Awesome performance from the Kiwi! #UFC253 pic.twitter.com/VPTOikYuRq
— Fight News Australia (@fightnewsaus) September 27, 2020
Riddell had none of Da Silva’s takedown attempts for the remainder of the fight, showcasing excellent takedown defense every time Da Silva took a shot.
The third round saw Riddell land a hard left hand that grazed Da Silva’s eye. Despite clearly being a fair punch, the ref stopped the fight momentarily believing it was an eye poke.
Riddell and his corner were clearly angry at the decision, believing the Brazilian was trying to catch his breath as he was obviously starting to fade.
Once the fight resumed, Riddell picked up where he left off, landing the more aggressive shots before being handed a unanimous decision.
AOTEAROA STAND UP! 🇳🇿@BradQuakeRiddel is coming back to New Zealand with the WIN! #UFC253 #InAbuDhabi @VisitAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/cICuA6ccFq
— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) September 27, 2020
Riddell won the fight on all three of the judges’ scorecards 29-28.
The win was Riddell’s third straight in the UFC since making his debut against Jamie Mullarkey last year.
The win brings Riddell’s professional MMA career to 9-1.
Jake Matthews dominates Diego Sanchez at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi
