“For me, I have enough friends in this division. I've got that—I won't fight unless they say my name. If they see my name, then we're gonna get it. And now I know that from the very beginning. And for [Reinier], off like anyone—so without being sad—yeah, I'm not your friend, don't wanna be your friend. I don't disrespect you; if you just respect me, then we'll have no problem. I'll help you; I don't want your help from me, in a kind of way. I look at it like, I know eventually we're gonna fight 'cause I've been asking for him since he came to the UFC. So, before it was even training there... and then, to be honest, like, I got asked—for every, like, middleweight—they wanted [to come to] our gym. I always ask, "Hey, you cool with it?" Like, even [Nassourdine] Imavov came [to] the gym [and] asked me before we were supposed to even fight. I was like, "Yeah, for sure—be cool, have a new look." Then we fought; he stayed where you were. That, and after... "Here's a—have no mind if [I] come..." So I was like, "Alright"”

– explain's why he has no interest in training with de Ridder