Reiner De Ridder is aiming to shake up the middleweight division with a dominant finish over Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi. The former ONE Championship double champ is ready to make a statement—and he’s not playing it safe.
De Ridder headlines the UFC on ABC 9 card against former champion Whittaker at the Etihad Arena in Yas Island. While the UFC appears to be eyeing the winner of Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho as the next in line, De Ridder believes a spectacular finish could change that narrative.
“A win is not enough. I need to finish him. I need to finish him early, hopefully spectacularly,” De Ridder told MMA Junkie. “And as I said, we all hope Imavov and Borralho is boring, goes five rounds, nothing happens. That would be perfect. Or maybe Khamzat pulls out last minute and they give me a call. We’ll see.”
Reiner De Ridder isn’t just targeting a win—he’s after impact. A clean, violent finish over Whittaker would send a clear message to the division and potentially fast-track him toward UFC 319 or even a short-notice title fight.
“I’ll be ready to fight again, or as I said, I might be ready to step in last minute if necessary,” he said. “Weighing in is the hardest part, so hopefully not weighing in at all. We’ll see.”
His eyes are already on what comes next. De Ridder plans to keep a close watch on UFC Paris and the middleweight title fight, along with the clash between Imavov and Borralho. He expects Imavov to walk away with the win but hopes the fight falls flat in the eyes of the fans.
“I’m leaning towards Imavov in that one just because he’s so complete, so relaxed in there,” De Ridder added. “He seems to be very much in control, but hopefully it’s just a boring fight, and nobody wants to watch, nothing happens. That will be ideal.”
Reiner De Ridder intends to put Whittaker on the back foot early. He’s aware of Whittaker’s tendencies and has prepared to counter them. The Dutch fighter expects the Australian to look for space and try to set up his signature 1-2 head kick combo but De Ridder plans to close that gap immediately.
“I know I gotta step on the gas anyway,” De Ridder said to Submission Radio. “Because what he likes is when you give him some space, when he can see what you’re doing, when he can read you, that’s what he likes best. And then he does his best work, most likely gonna throw the 1-2 high kick once he sees what you’re doing. So I think it’s very important for me to step on the gas from the get-go here… I see myself putting a lot of pressure on him, hitting him with some good shots early. Maybe another knee, maybe some other cool strikes, taking him down and choking him out.”
Since signing with the UFC, Reiner De Ridder has been on a tear. He submitted Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland before knocking out NCAA wrestling standout Bo Nickal. His only professional losses came under the ONE Championship banner, both to Anatoly Malykhin. Now, he’s fighting with something to prove and momentum on his side.
Whittaker, on the other hand, remains a staple in the middleweight elite. “The Reaper” is 2-2 in his last four outings and is coming off a submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev.
