Brad Riddell

Brad 'Quake' Riddell is a New Zealand striker and former kickboxing champion whose career trajectory tracks the promise and peril of moving between striking disciplines. Born and raised in Christchurch, Riddell adopted his nickname in homage to the 2011 earthquake that devastated his city, viewing his fighting career as a way to represent his community's resilience. After establishing himself as a decorated competitor in Muay Thai and professional kickboxing, he transitioned to MMA, where he found his way to the UFC and a perfect 4-0 record highlighted by unanimous decision victories over Jamie Mullarkey and Drew Dober, each earning him Fight of the Night recognition.

Riddell fights as a pure striker, averaging 4.71 significant strikes per minute with excellent 54% striking defense. His offense flows from distance rather than the clinch or ground, relying on a left hook and left body rip to set up combinations. He has recorded five wins by knockout and five by decision, but is notably vulnerable to submission wrestling, which exposed itself in 2021-2022 when he suffered three consecutive defeats: first a knockout loss to Rafael Fiziev, then guillotine and rear-naked choke submissions from Jalin Turner and Renato Moicano. These losses, compounded by severe hip and knee injuries, led him to announce a hiatus in November 2022, stepping away from active competition for recovery.

After nearly three years off, Riddell is preparing a comeback at age 34. He underwent hip labrum surgery in Las Vegas (avoiding a complete hip replacement recommended in New Zealand) and additional knee repairs in Thailand, and has remained engaged with the sport as a striking coach, notably cornering Zhang Weili for her successful title defense at UFC 312. His return story resonates as a veteran comeback driven by renewed motivation rather than desperation: he publicly committed to stepping away until 'the fire came back,' and sources indicate it has. For casual fans, Riddell offers technical striking prowess grounded in two decades of martial arts training, an earned place among MMA's respected craftsmen, and an honest narrative of burnout, injury, and methodical recovery.