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Reinier de Ridder narrowly wins a split decision against Robert Whittaker in a grueling main event at Etihad Arena in the UAE, demonstrating his resilience after a brutal knockdown.
At UFC Abu Dhabi, Reinier de Ridder achieved a significant career victory against former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at the Etihad Arena in the United Arab Emirates, securing a hard-fought split decision.
De Ridder (21-2) notched his third win of 2025 by defeating the Australian fighter. Two of the judges scored the 84kg (185-pound) bout 48-47 for de Ridder, while the third judge scored it 48-47 in favor of Whittaker.
De Ridder stated in a post-fight interview, “I don’t want to fight like [Whittaker]. This guy was too tough. I expected to take him down. He was so tough, so durable. Heavy f****** hands.”
In the third round, de Ridder survived a harsh knockdown when Whittaker threw a right hand to his chin within the opening minute.
Although the Dutch fighter weathered the assault, he managed to maintain his dominance in strikes, landing 169 in total compared to Whittaker’s 100, according to the UFC’s official statistics. He then went on to clinch the last two rounds by consistently targeting his opponent’s body with knees and applying relentless grappling.
The five-round fight showcased the closeness between the two fighters, highlighted by the split decision at the end.
De Ridder’s triumph marked his fourth victory in the UFC. Whittaker (27-9), on the other hand, has now lost two of his last five fights and has two consecutive losses.
Following his victory, de Ridder, the 13th-ranked fighter before the bout, called for a title shot against the winner of the middleweight championship fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 on August 16.
He stated, “I want to finish a guy in the first round, so maybe it would be better if I fought Khamzat [Chimaev] or Dricus [Du Plessis]. Give me my title shot.”Whittaker, left, and de Ridder engage in a fierce fight [Fatima Shbair/AP][Fatima Shbair/AP]
In the co-main event, former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan secured a unanimous decision victory against Marcus McGhee. Yan dominated in total strikes, significant strikes, control, and takedowns.
In the middleweight matchup, Shara Magomedov rebounded from his first professional loss, which came against Michael Page in February, by achieving a unanimous decision win over Marc-Andre Barriault. Magomedov earned a 30-27 score from all three judges.
