After dyslexia challenges during youth, 'TUF 32' winner Ryan Loder spreads message of hard work

LAS VEGAS – Ryan Loderhad a dream come true Saturday when he smashed Robert Valentin in a crucifix to become “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 32 middleweight winner.

“Dream come true,” Loder told MMA Junkie and other reporters after his second-round TKO finish at UFC on ESPN 62. “Since beginning of starting to fight, this was the goal. Now, I’m in the show and that’s what it’s about.

It was a long journey through sports and wrestling for Loder (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), though a relatively short one to this point in MMA. Loder turned professional in October 2021, less than three years ago.

Throughout the “TUF 32” series, Loder’s battles outside of the cage or off the mat were highlighted. Growing up with dyslexia was challenging, but sports became a way to live comfortably.

“There’s a part (of the series) where a lot of people did reach out to me, saying there’s a part where I said I’m not smart enough,” Loder said. “I definitely felt that way when I was younger. It was tough growing up. I had so many great people around me who boosted me up and showed me, ‘Hey, maybe you do struggle in English and writing and grammar, but you’re so much smarter in everything else.’

“The harder I work at things, the better you get out of them. I think at a young age, I always had to work harder than a lot of people, especially in school. I just carried that through sports. Sports really saved my life. School was tough, but I really excelled in sports. So I can understand a lot more in that. It helped me. One, I had a lot of great people. Two, the struggles in the beginning made me better now.”

Loder, 33, declined to make any requests for what he wants his next bout to be. He said his career path is in the UFC’s hands, as he works to move toward the top of the middleweight division.

“(The middleweights here) are all tough,” Loder said. “They should be here and they’re all tough. I think there is a lack of wrestlers. So that’s something where I see and I go, OK, maybe that’s my avenue and I can stay in the middleweights and take over with my wrestling. I think a lot of people are going to have to make up on lost time. There’s not a lot of D1 wrestlers coming through.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.