2023 didn’t play out exactly as JR “The Lion” Ridge had hoped.
Ridge only got to fight once, and he was defeated by John Dodson in their showdown for the inaugural BKFC World Flyweight Championship in the Main Event of BKFC 48 in August. In the blink of an eye, the red-hot Ridge had fallen short in the biggest moment of his fighting career.
The Philippines-born Tampa, FL fighter was heartbroken by his loss to Dodson, but he knows he’s better than he showed that summer night in Albuquerque, NM.
“It didn’t go our way, we didn’t get the result we wanted. It’s just one of those things where I was there, but I didn’t show up, and that’s just the name of the game sometimes,” Ridge says in retrospect.
“But in 2024, we’re going to make a run for the belt again. The same me, but I’m coming back with a whole new mindset, and I’m definitely bringing that belt home in 2024. That’s my plan, that’s my goal, and that’s what I’m working tirelessly to make happen.”
Ridge is currently waiting on his next assignment in the Squared Circle, but he firmly believes he’ll meet Dodson again in the next 12 months. He even has a location in mind – the Philippines.
The picturesque Southeast Asian country hosted one of the biggest matches in gloved boxing history – Muhammad Ali’s and Joe Frazier’s epic “Thrilla in Manila” in 1975 – plus both Ridge and Dodson are both proud of their Filipino heritage.
“BKFC has been expanding across the world so fast, so in 2024, let’s cross our fingers and pray that we get BKFC into the Phillipines and we get me and John headlining the show,” Ridge says.
“This would be the biggest card of the year, so let’s do it.”
