Reinier de Ridder’s fourth-round defeat to Brendan Allen in the UFC Vancouver main event surprised many fans — not because he lost, but because his corner stopped the fight before the final round.
For the first time in his UFC career, de Ridder’s team intervened, ending the contest after he appeared exhausted following a grueling stretch of ground exchanges. Now, his head coach Harun Ozkan has publicly explained why it was the right move.
Ozkan: “It Was the Right Call to Make”
In a message shared online the day after the fight, Ozkan addressed supporters directly and gave his reasoning.
“Friends, fans, and supporters,
I normally don’t share personal things on here, but I feel I owe a little explanation to everyone who’s been behind us. First of all, thank you for the amazing support we’ve been receiving. It’s been a crazy and busy year so far.”
According to Ozkan, de Ridder looked great in the opening round but began to fade midway through the fight.
“Last night didn’t go as we wanted. After a very strong start in the first round, things quickly started fading and we couldn’t really recover from the shots in and after the second round. I made the call to stop the fight after the fourth round. I take full responsibility for that decision and it was the right call to make for me in the moment.”
He said that as a coach, his role extends beyond strategy — it includes protecting his athlete when they’re in danger.
“My job is to coach, but also to look out for my fighter’s health. I’ve been with Reinier for basically his whole career and saw too many signs that made me step in. If I didn’t do anything, he would’ve continued the fight. Rather than risk unnecessary damage, I decided to call it a day and go home as healthy as possible. Live to fight another day.”
“Health Over Pride” — A Coach’s Perspective
Ozkan stressed that he doesn’t make decisions based on public approval or expectations.
“I absolutely do not care about pleasing others if it comes at the cost of someone’s health. There’s a thin line between ‘being tough’ and watching out for your health. This sport can be brutal. These guys sacrifice a lot of their life in and out of the cage — there’s no need for excess damage if it can be avoided. Most people forget they’re human too.”
He concluded by reaffirming his pride in de Ridder and his belief that they will bounce back stronger.
“Zero excuses for this loss, we knew what we were going for. We are not happy with this performance, but for now recovery first, evaluate some stuff and we will be back next year. It has been an amazing year overall and thankful for all the highs and lows in life. Proud of you my brother @deriddermma. We’ve come a long way.”
The defeat was de Ridder’s first loss in the UFC, dropping his record to 4-1 inside the promotion and 21-3 overall. Originally booked against Anthony Hernandez in a title-eliminator, the Dutch fighter ended up facing Brendan Allen instead — a matchup that tested his conditioning and resilience.
Though the loss pushes him down the middleweight ladder, Ozkan’s words suggest that de Ridder’s focus will now shift to recovery and long-term improvement. As his coach put it, the priority is simple: “Live to fight another day.”
Published on October 19, 2025 at 9:20 pm
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