Happily for the 30-year-old lightweight, he now has the opportunity to get things back on track against American Jalin Turner at UFC 276. However, even that matchup took a little longer to happen than he would’ve liked.
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 276: Adesanya vs Cannonier
“If you’re ranked around 15, the people above you don’t want to fight you,” explains Riddell, who currently sits in the 14th spot. “Trying to convince them is nearly impossible. In the end, I just said, give me any opponent. They gave me Jalin Turner.
“Jalin’s got what he wished for – he thinks he will move into the rankings. But something else is going to happen.”
Turner has certainly been garnering his fair share of attention. Unusually tall for the division at 6’3”, “The Tarantula” has been victorious in his past four UFC outings and boasts a 100 percent finish rate. Riddell is respectful without being overawed.
“He’s a good opponent,” says Riddell. “He’s on a great streak, and he’s unique with that height at lightweight. But what’s also unique is I’m about the only guy in this weight class who has fought people taller and heavier and won.
“I don’t think he’s ready for the Top 15 or to fight me. I’ve been to hell and back in MMA and the UFC. I’m a different beast.”
Order UFC 276: Adesanya vs Cannonier
Riddell also notes that being based at Auckland’s famed City Kickboxing gym gives him plenty of tall, rangy fighters with whom to prepare, including the likes of Dan Hooker and middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
