“Maybe I’d Have Been Champion”- Matt Riddle Looks Back at his Unceremonious Exit from UFC

Matt Riddle was undoubtedly a dominant force in the UFC. He wasn’t undefeated but had racked up an impressive 4-win streak, right before he was let go.

Riddle had burst onto the MMA scene through The Ultimate Fighter and made his professional debut in the UFC itself.

This was a feat not accomplished by many, which made it so much more surprising when he was fired by the UFC at his peak.

Riddle recently sat down with Ariel Helwani and spoke about his exodus from UFC, and how he is liking his current position.

“Just seeing other people on their way up in the division in the same spot I was who are kinda like making their waves, hitting their prime in their late 20s.

“I’m not sure if I’d have been champion, but I’m pretty sure I would’ve cracked the top 5, maybe at least gotten a title shot, maybe even would’ve been champion,” explains Riddle.

Matt Riddle opens up about life after UFC

He spoke about how hard MMA was on his body, and on his mind. Riddle made it clear that he preferred his life as a pro-wrestler more than his life as a UFC fighter.

“I do think it was the best thing to happen to me. Fighting was hard on my body, hard on my mind. Cutting that much weight, raising 3 kids…For me, it was really tough.”

Riddle revealed why exactly he didn’t like MMA as a career. The WWE Superstar stated that he didn’t like hurting people. “In UFC I broke that one guy’s jaw, and I’m not even one of the ‘bad’ bad guys, you know? When you hurt somebody, that’s a good day.”

Riddle was driven away by the culture of pain and competition in the UFC.

That is pretty hard to believe, seeing how Riddle recently knocked his opponent’s teeth out in the NXT Fight Pit.

ALSO READ– Matt Riddle’s BRUTAL Knockout in The Ultimate Fighter

Matt had some final comments about UFC vs WWE for the performers and had this to say. “That’s why I came here [WWE]. I’m getting treated better, I’m happy, my family’s happy, I get more time with them, I’m not killing myself cutting weight…My life is incredibly better now”

Riddle may not have been a good fit for the UFC. Nevertheless, Riddle gave fans some exciting fights while in the octagon and is sure to put on some great shows in the ring.