Overview
- De Ridder’s corner stopped the fight before Round 5, giving short-notice replacement Brendan Allen a TKO win in the Vancouver main event.
- On Instagram, De Ridder said he was “not the best fighter” and “not myself,” acknowledging he overdid his last two camps and will take time off.
- Coach Harun Ozkan defended throwing in the towel and said he took full responsibility to protect his fighter’s health.
- High-profile fighters criticized De Ridder for retiring on the stool, while Bo Nickal said he had heard pre-fight rumblings of a rough weight cut or illness.
- With De Ridder’s bid stalled, reporting points to Nassourdine Imavov as the likely next challenger for champion Khamzat Chimaev, though the matchup is not official.