Reinier de Ridder returns to action in UFC Vancouver’s main event on Oct. 18, 2025, taking on Brendan Allen … a 185-pound showdown that would normally be met with a lot of positivity if it wasn’t a replacement match-up for de Ridder originally facing Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez (more on that here).
“It was a big letdown — it was a shame,” de Ridder told MMA Junkie of Hernandez’s withdrawal in a new interview. “He really has a cool skill set, ‘Fluffy’ has, and he came in with a lot of hype. So I was very sad he pulled out. And there were a couple of days I didn’t expect anyone to step up at all to be honest.
“Nobody wanted to fight,” he added. “We tried Costa, but Costa wanted on his own terms, so that didn’t happen. I’m very, very grateful that Brendan took the call.”
“Costa wanted it to be catchweight and only three rounds,” de Ridder said. “I think if you get a shot like that to fight for a main event, get another chance to come up in the rankings. I think you should just shut up and say yes, not put your own terms in there. F–k off, take the fight!”
Costa has been angling for a fight over the past weeks, and reportedly had a bout against Shara Magomedov in Qatar in the works before “Bullet” withdrew to get nose surgery. Fighting one month earlier in Vancouver was apparently too soon for “Borrachinha” to be confident in his gas tank for five rounds, so de Ridder versus Allen it is.
“Nah f*ck off,” he said of Imavov getting the Chimaev fight. “I am next!”