UFC middleweight contender Reinier de Ridder has explained how fighters get through the pain of competing and training regularly in mixed martial arts.
When you talk about top challengers to the UFC middleweight championship, Khamzat Chimaev is obviously the first name that comes to mind given that he's set to challenge for the title in a few short weeks. Beyond that, though, Reinier de Ridder isn't too far behind in the wake of his split decision victory over Robert Whittaker.
While it was seen as a controversial win by many, Reinier de Ridder was still able to prove that he can hang with the very best in the division. Now, you'd have to imagine that he'll earn a crack at the winner of the aforementioned title fight.
In a recent interview with Demetrious Johnson, Reinier de Ridder gave a few interesting thoughts on what it's like to be a fighter and what it's like to battle through some of the more painful moments of that process.
Reinier de Ridder explains dealing with pain in MMA
“Everything hurts, but you learn to live with training pain and keep pushing forward.”
“The key to success in MMA is having good training partners consistently; Florida offers endless good bodies and coaches.”
“I’m trying to do all my recovery work right—ice baths, hyperbaric chambers, UV light—I’ve got to take care of my body to keep going.”
One thing we know for sure is that RDR is as tough as they come, and it'll be exciting to see what he does next.
