“He was barely able to get up” - Daniel Cormier applauds Reinier de Ridder’s corner for throwing in the towel at UFC Vancouver

Daniel Cormier praised Reinier de Ridder’s corner for making a rare but necessary call at UFC Vancouver. After enduring four punishing rounds against Brendan Allen, de Ridder was visibly depleted, struggling to rise from his stool as his team signaled the end.

The stoppage came at the right moment, preventing further damage in a fight that had long turned in Allen’s favor. Allen controlled most of the contest through steady pressure and calculated groundwork. De Ridder’s repeated takedown attempts and grappling exchanges became costly as Allen consistently reversed position and delivered punishing strikes from top control.

Cormier, speaking on his post-fight reaction show on YouTube, called the decision a model of responsible coaching. He said:

"He was barely able to get up after round two, three, and four. There was no way he was going to get through another five minutes. His corner did him a favor, by saying, ‘Hey, we'll give you the opportunity to live another day and fight another day.’ I know at times we're hard on coaches for not being willing to throw in the towel. Reinier de Ridder's coaches threw in the towel tonight. They gave that guy a chance to fight another day."

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Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below (4:30):

The result gave Allen an important win that placed him squarely in the middleweight title conversation.

Reinier de Ridder’s coach stands firm on stoppage decision after tough night in UFC Vancouver

Reinier de Ridder’s coach, Harun Ozkan, defended his decision to stop the fight after the fourth round of the UFC Vancouver main event. De Ridder started strong but faded as Brendan Allen’s pressure and grappling control wore him down through the later rounds.

Ozkan said he saw clear signs of exhaustion and made the call to protect his fighter from unnecessary damage. He took to Instagram and wrote:

"Last night didn’t go as we wanted. After a very strong start in the first round, things quickly started fading, and we couldn’t really recover from the shots in and after the second round. I made the call to stop the fight after the fourth round. I take full responsibility for that decision, and it was the right call to make for me in the moment. It’s not a decision I ever wanted to make, but I guess sometimes you have to."

He added:

"My job is to coach, but also to look out for my fighter’s health. I’ve been with Reinier for basically his whole career and saw too many signs that made me step in. If I didn’t do anything, he would’ve continued the fight. Rather than risk unnecessary damage, I decided to call it a day and go home as healthy as possible. Live to fight another day."

About the author

Abhishek Ramadasan Nambiar is a journalist who covers MMA at Sportskeeda. As a long-time practitioner of various martial arts, seeing the fusion of different forms into a quest for the ultimate fighter felt both primal and profoundly technical. At Sportskeeda, Abhishek's primary goal is to offer a fresh and distinctive angle through his writing, aiming to provide readers with more than just the basics of MMA. Along with keeping them informed about the latest developments in the sport, he strives to offer valuable insights that enhance their understanding of MMA.

When not writing about MMA, Abhishek often spends time reviewing music or devouring Brian Evanson's and Blake Crouch's work. Sign up to receive news, regular updates, and exclusive coverage.

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