City Kickboxing fighter Brad Riddell announces break from MMA following 'lackluster' performance at UFC 281 – "It’s a dangerous job if you’re not fully present"

Brad Riddell had a very underwhelming performance against Renato Moicano at UFC 281. Following his third consecutive loss, the unranked lightweight shared that he will temporarily be taking a break from mixed martial arts.

In a post shared on his Instagram, Riddell stated:

"I appreciate everyone that has been supporting me from day one to these last two lackluster performances. I’m going to step away from competing in MMA for a good while... I’m not performing close to my capability, and it’s a dangerous job if you’re not fully present."

Riddell added:

"I’ve been training hard for 15 years... It’s massively taken its physical and mental toll on me. There has not been a year since I was 17 that I have not fought... As I write this, I feel a sense of relief for finally voicing what I had been feeling for a while."

Riddell revealed that he has been putting off surgery. While he will be taking a break from competing, Riddell will continue to train.

Check out Brad Riddell's full comments on his Instagram post below:

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Brad Riddell has struggled following seven-fight win streak

Brad Riddell's decision to take a break from mixed martial arts competition comes following his recent struggles in the octagon. The unranked lightweight has now lost three consecutive fights following a seven-fight win streak.

Riddell's UFC career peaked following his UFC 263 unanimous decision victory over Drew Dober. Riddell would win Fight of the Night for the second time in his UFC career, while also becoming the No.12-ranked lightweight. Since then, it has been a downhill journey for the New-Zealander.

In his next fight at UFC Vegas 44, Riddell lost the first two rounds to Rafael Fiziev before being knocked out with a third-round spinning wheel kick.

Riddell returned to the octagon seven months later, facing Jalin Turner at UFC 276. Riddell would lose his ranking altogether, as he was submitted via a guillotine choke just 45 seconds into the fight.

While it is unclear how long Riddell's hiatus will last, he does have only one fight left on his UFC contract.