MMA Junkie ran their weekly interview with recently eliminated Ultimate Fighter, Matt Riddle, earlier this week. While most of the interview is pretty standard; the laughing, the joking, and a couple curse words here and there, there’s a couple of interesting tidbits worthy of reading.

Apparently Riddle, who trained at Team Russel Jiu-Jitsu before moving to Rat Pack Fighting Systems where he was currently training, had some news to share:

I’m probably going to train with (fellow castmate Mike) Dolce and all those guys at Team Quest North and then with Rampage at Big Bear (Calif.) with the high altitude and stuff to get ready for my fight… Rampage and I got along very well. I got along with Juanito, too, and all the coaches. They still call me to see what I’m doing.

The news doesn’t come as much of a surprise if you think about it. Riddle really needs to be training with other top caliber fighters like his friend from Team Quest and ex-IFL fighter, Mike Dolce along with Rampage and his friends at Big Bear. The surprise comes at how Riddle hints about his treatment from his friends at Rat Pack Fighting Systems.

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Matt Riddle has a lot to say on this season of The Ultimate Fighter. The young fighter from New York is shown throughout the show talking to fellow fighters, his coaches, and the camera. He has been nicknamed “Smiley” and “Chipper” by the fighters and the coaches and you can see why. He’s certainly got a lot to say about himself and the sport, including this:

It doesn’t matter where you train - if you want it, you can get it.

While other fighters are training at Top Team, Serra’s BJJ Academy, and Team Quest, Riddle reminds us that he trains out of Palmerton, PA at Rat Pack Fighting Systems. And with his performance last night, you can clearly see that while a professional training team may help a fighter, it’s certainly not what makes a fighter.

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You saw him deliver a devastating knockout against Dan Simmler on The Ultimate Fighter. You may have seen him dominate at the NAGA World’s or Battle of the Beach. Maybe you were lucky enough to train with “The Answer” before he began his quest on the 7th season of TUF to become to next big middleweight in the UFC. Or maybe you haven’t, so enjoy the following pictures of the guy who walked onto TUF 7 and impressed both Forrest Griffon and Quinton Jackson with his impressive “Southpaw red” knockout. If you want to see more of Matt Riddle, you’ve come to the right place. Many of the images below are property of Rat Pack Fighting Systems in Palmerton, PA. Please contact Nick or Sandy Masington at Rat Pack if you would like to learn more about Matt Riddle. Just tell them that Brandt from MMA Opinion sent you. Keep reading for the pics!

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