It's Team City Kickboxing season and the summer vibes will be boosted by a Sunday afternoon featuring Brad Riddell vs Rafael Fiziev. This lightweight UFC match up will pit the two Tiger Muay Thai comrades against each other and the winner will not only slide further up the rankings, they will further enhance their reputation as a future title contender. Both are crafty strikers who combine ruthless execution with tricks, planning and nous, while both also possess capable grappling to set up a funky battle.

Those who only tap into Team CKB mahi when Aotearoa's mainstream media whip up headlines barely know how international Team CKB is, let alone how silly the frenzy around a possible move overseas was. We know most of Aotearoa's sporting excellence happens overseas and many kiwi athletes haven't touched Aotearoa's land for a couple of years or more. Instead of buzzing about Israel Adesanya's comments, buzz about the reaction and how a common sense move to be closer to the UFC action was blown up to be far more dramatic.

Riddell's fight serves as a clear example of the Team CKB reality. First we have the Tiger Muay Thai factor. Team CKB have hearty links to Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand with fighters and coaches spending a lot of time in Thailand, thus building relationships. Riddell fights TMT homie Fiziev and wrestling guru Frank Hickman previously worked with TMT before settling into his work at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas; where Dan Hooker has been based while staying in USA after his loss to Islam Makhachev.

For his last fight, Hooker had Team CKB's boxing department in his corner. Hemi Ahio defeated Mohammad Ali Bayat Farid in Dubai and with coach Doug Viney alongside him, these two joined Hickman as Hooker's team to fight Makhachev. This Riddell fight features Team CKB kaumatua Eugene Bareman making the trip to Las Vegas to link up with Hooker, Hickman and Genah Fabian - who has been living in USA for much of 2021. Kai Kara-France fights Cody Garbrandt next weekend, so he will join the crew at some point as well.

Riddell, Israel Adesanya and Carlos Ulberg were living in USA roughly this time last year. Not to mention that since the pandemic sparked up, Team CKB have stacked up fights in USA and United Arab Emirates and somehow spread their coaches across all of Team CKB's professional fighters. Sometimes this resulted in Hooker having Hickman in his corner, sometimes it's Bareman at one event and Mike Angove at a different event, sometimes it's a team member.

All of which I believe is important because it is in hefty contrast to the narrative or perception of Team CKB in Aotearoa. Aotearoa media got their knickers in a twist (as they generally do with all Adesanya's antics) about Adesanya's comments to move overseas, even going as far as making life super niggly for Hooker as he prepared for his last fight.

None of these dramatic media ideas tap into the fact that Fabian has stayed in USA before and after her Professional Fighting League season, or how Team CKB have maintain excellence despite their travel/training niggle. There was no reporting about Adesanya, Riddell and Ulberg staying in USA last year, nor is there any credit to Team CKB literally assembling in Las Vegas to support Riddell. Team CKB is international. While City Kickboxing is a business in Auckland and their home (Aotearoa) is extremely important to Team CKB, they are one of the best MMA teams in the world and have operated as such during a global pandemic.

Riddell has been the low key monster of Team CKB since making his UFC debut in October 2019. Four UFC fights, four wins by decision and two 'Fight of the Night' bonus nods. In these four fights, Riddell has shown Team CKB's world-class striking as well as the brewing defensive grappling that saw Riddell calmly deal with blokes wrapped around him to nullify that threat. Riddell's ability to take his opponents down is among, if not the best in Team CKB's UFC roster and every fight has showcased Riddell's brutality.

Strikes Landed per Min

Riddell: 4.75 | Fiziev: 5.34.

Striking Accuracy

Riddell: 53% | Fiziev: 52%.

Strikes Absorbed per Min

Riddell: 3.18 | Fiziev: 5.76

Takedowns per 15mins

Riddell: 2 | Fiziev: 0.59.

Takedown Defence

Riddell: 62% | Fiziev: 100%.

This fight is about Riddell fighting a bloke just as nifty with his striking as him and just as brutal. Fiziev is also well regarded with grappling/wrestling even though he hasn't had to rely on it too much due to his striking prowess. Not only are these two evenly matched in their mahi, they have the same reach and Fiziev is an inch taller. Riddell has four UFC fights, Fiziev has five fights. Both are 10-1 in their MMA careers.

I'm fairly certain this will be fun. For casual kiwi sports fans, Riddell's fights come with a similar warning to Hooker's fights as Riddell has gone the distance in all four of his UFC fights. Riddell has dealt strictly in UFC wars, he's ruthless and won't be taking any backwards steps. For lovers of the art, Riddell offers compelling viewing. For those tuning in to see a world-class kiwi, be warned that Riddell loves the deep waters like a whale off the coast of Kaikoura.

Riddell starting the Team CKB summer season is notable. This bloke is probably the best UFC fighter you don't know about and as Hooker might drop down a weight division, Riddell has a clear path to the lightweight upper realms. Next weekend Kai Kara-France has a similar opportunity and there is a sneaky UFC 271 card on February 12 that already has Mike 'Blood Diamond' Mathetha and Carlos Ulberg locked in. Jah bless the summer season.

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Peace and love.