Why did Reinier de Ridder lose at UFC Vancouver? That’s the question fans started asking after Brendan Allen dominated the Dutchman at Rogers Arena, in front of a packed Canadian audience. What’s more impressive is that ‘All-In’ did that on short notice, after Anthony Hernandez, originally scheduled for the bout, pulled out due to injury. Naturally, many believed ‘RDR’ would cruise to victory without breaking a sweat. For his fans, however, the night turned out to be quite frustrating.

Back-to-back fights finally took a toll on the Dutch star

Before facing Allen, he was riding a five-fight winning streak. He bested Robert Whittaker in his last outing. So, when the fighter fell short in Vancouver, fans couldn’t help but wonder why… Well, there are several reasons, but let’s start with De Ridder’s over-the-top activity.

As UFC fans, nothing excites us more than fighters who stay super active, delivering multiple unforgettable scraps throughout the year. And two names immediately come to mind. The first is Alex Pereira. From November 2023 to October 2024, he fought four times, winning the light heavyweight belt and defending it three times. That’s an absolutely incredible feat to achieve, but this year, the crown belongs to Merab Dvalishvili.

‘The Machine’ defended his belt three times in 2025 and will return at UFC 323 on December 6, aiming to become the first fighter in history to defend a UFC title four times in a single year. He will face Petr Yan in a rematch. And though fighters like Pereira or Dvalishvili impress us thoroughly, we have to accept that a high volume of activity isn’t for everyone. That becomes crystal clear when we examine Reinier de Ridder’s fighting history.

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Before fighting in the Dana White-led promotion, ‘RDR’ held titles in two divisions at ONE Championship, where he spent most of his prime years. When he finally left ONE and joined the UFC, De Ridder was 34 years old. With that in mind, he clearly wanted to use his remaining active years at full throttle. And because of that, the Dutchman has competed five times since November 2024. That includes the latest UFC Vancouver card.

That’s excellent activity, no doubt, but we can only imagine the toll on his body going through five grueling camps. Plus, ‘RDR’ isn’t a small guy: he stands 6’4’’ with a 78-inch reach. Before UFC Vancouver, he reportedly cut 34 pounds. So, think about that same process happening five times in a year while facing top-level competition. That’s not very sustainable.

So, Reinier de Ridder being too active ahead of his fight against Brendan Allen could be a very valid reason for his loss at Rogers Arena. But beyond that, the fighter also made some strategic mistakes, which his opponent quickly exploited.

It didn’t take long for Brendan Allen to figure out Reinier de Ridder’s game plan

At the UFC Vancouver main event, ‘RDR’ started strong in the first round. From the first bell, he won every position on the ground, even securing a dominant full mount. He landed some massive damage from the back as well. But after the first round, everything began to go south. Why?

It is because Brendan Allen recognized that De Ridder struggles under pressure. After a disappointing first round, he regrouped and immediately started taking the center of the octagon, occasionally throwing loopy punches, which were not necessarily to secure a knockout, but to instill a sense of fear and show his opponent he wasn’t to be taken lightly. Alongside his offensive approach, Allen relied heavily on his defensive grappling.

Allen successfully fended off many of Ridder’s single takedown attempts, and then, he swiftly reversed to get the dominant position. That gets even clearer when we actually look at the stats. According to ESPN fight center, ‘All-In’ landed just one takedown, while ‘RDR’ attempted seven and successfully completed only three. This illustrates how labored the Dutchman’s efforts became in the later rounds, leaving him exhausted by the fourth, which ultimately prompted his corner to throw in the towel.

Brendan Allen’s overall approach looked sharp, which is definitely a credit to his fight IQ. But training at the same gym as De Ridder, ‘Kill Cliff’, might’ve also given him a slight edge. When Allen arrived at the gym, De Ridder was already training there, though they never actually worked or sparred together.

In an ‘MMA Fighting’ interview, ‘All-In’ explained how sharing the same gym can get a little nerve-wracking with so many divisional fighters around. Still, Allen getting some inside information on ‘RDR’s game isn’t outside the realm of possibilities.

So, at this point, we can say that the combination of grueling weight cuts, intense training camps, and actively engaging in tough scraps ultimately cost Reinier de Ridder the fight against Brendan Allen. While these circumstances are somewhat understandable, choosing to fight with a lingering disease that didn’t even spare Alex Pereira wasn’t a wise decision.

Norovirus ruined RDR’s fight

After Reinier de Ridder lost his bout against Brendan Allen, fans waited eagerly to hear what ‘The Dutch Knight’ had to say. Well, everyone expected a disappointed and emotional reaction, but no one saw it coming when he brought back Alex Pereira’s memories with his post-fight statement.

Taking to X, De Ridder posted, “Devastated by the loss. Battled norovirus all week, could hardly stand, and broke my hand in Round 1, making it tough to fight. Gave everything I had. @SStricklandMMA, I’m coming for that middleweight belt. Let’s do this! 👊 🔥”

Interestingly, his reasons matched exactly what Joe Rogan revealed after ‘Poatan’ lost to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, which was norovirus and an injured hand. Both fighters stepped into the cage while not healthy, and both ended up on the losing end. Call it a surprising coincidence if you want, but it also gave other fighters a serious lesson: Fighting with a serious illness or injury, especially at such a crucial stage, is a gamble not worth taking.

Now, while Alex Pereira managed to bounce back from that brutal loss and knocked out Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320, to reclaim his 205lbs throne, the question is whether Reinier de Ridder can manage to do the same if he fights Sean Strickland? Well, his chances would look a lot better if he took time off, let his body fully recover, and made a comeback after a solid six-month break. If he plays it smart, we just might witness a more dangerous version of him.

So, going by all of these points, it’s actually not surprising that Reinier de Ridder lost against Brendan Allen at UFC Vancouver main event. That said, do you agree with the points presented or have a completely different opinion? The comment section is all yours!