“I feel like I’ve touched each base in MMA,” he said. “Now, I’m going for the home run against an All-American wrestler, so that’s going to be sick.”
Riddell’s excitement about the fight is evident for obvious reasons, but he’s also eager to get home to his newborn daughter.
This trip to Vegas won’t require such a long time away from his home, although he does admit that the four or five weeks he’ll be away as “still too long.” By all accounts, though, the early days of fatherhood have treated him well, relatively speaking.
“All the other parents are like, ‘Oh, she sleeps so many hours. You’re so lucky,’” Riddell said. “I’m like, ‘Cool, man. Four hours? I didn’t realize four hours is a long time in the life of a baby,’ but I love it. She’s really dope. She’s got a little attitude. She’s got a fiery attitude like me, and she’s nice and relaxed like her mom, so it’s a good combo.”
“The best advice I got from somebody was just don’t really listen to anybody else,” he continued. “Just do your thing. Just keep her healthy, keep her happy and if I need advice, I ask my parents. I think I came out OK, so I’ll just ask them.”
This week though, the fight is top of mind. A win over Gillespie potentially catapults him into the Top 15 of what is arguably the highest-profile division in the UFC.
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The rest of the climb up the ladder takes care of itself after that, and Riddell knows the credentials that come with a number next to his name.
“This division is brutal, this lightweight division,” he said. “When you’re there, you can legitimately call yourself one of the best fighters at that weight in the world. That’s my motivation, that just a handful of people can say that. I’m going to be one of them.”
Riddell hopes, after this fight, he takes Gillespie’s status in terms of being a fighter nobody else volunteers to compete against. Ultimately, though, he’s focused on making good on his long journey to and from New Zealand and gain some traction in the lightweight division after a solid triplet of wins.
“I just need to perform,” Riddell said. “This business is about entertainment and performance, so if you can put those two together, you’re always going to be pretty well off in this company, so that’s my goal.”
