Reinier de Ridder grabs spilt decision over Whittaker in UFC Abu Dhabi main event. De Ridder earned the most significant victory of his UFC journey at UFC Abu Dhabi, edging out former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in a tightly contested split decision at the Etihad Arena in the United Arab Emirates.
On Saturday, July 26, the UFC returns to the fight capital of the Middle East –Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi for a thrilling fight and topping the afternoon card was a thrilling middleweight clash between former champion Robert “The Reaper” Whittaker and surging Dutch phenom Reinier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder.
It’s the kind of fight that blended experience with momentum, a proven killer versus a hungry threat out to claim his spot at the top. Former UFC middleweight champion Whittaker returns to the sands of Abu Dhabi seeking redemption. He’s no stranger to this stage–his last outing here was a tough loss to Khamzat Chimaev in 2024, after his great loss to Chimaev, he acknowledged that Chimaev is a tough opponent but Whittaker came back swinging. In February 2024, “The Reaper” rebounded with a gritty unanimous decision win against Paulo Costa in Las Vegas, followed by a first-round knockout of Ikram Aliskerov in Riyadh this June earning a Performance of the Night bonus.
His opponent, Reinier de Ridder (20-2), heads into UFC Abu Dhabi riding a wave of momentum and undefeated in the Octagon. Since signing with the UFC, “RDR” has made his presence felt with three statement finishes: first locking in an arm-triangle choke against veteran Gerald Meerschaert in November, then submitting Kevin Holland in UFC 311 with a slick rear-naked choke in January, and most recently, stopping rising star Bo Nickal in May with a vicious knee to the body in the second round. The performance earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. De Ridder hasn’t just been winning, he’s been finishing with style.
The fight started with the fighters touching gloves. Right after then, De Ridder catches a kick early and looks to drag Whittaker to the mat, but Whittaker shows solid counter-wrestling, staying upright as he peels de Ridder off his wrist and creates distance. Whittaker keeps his hands low, bouncing in and out with sharp punches that back de Ridder up. De Ridder makes it obvious he’s going for a takedown, but Whittaker responded with a jab. De Ridder uses his jab to close the gap, but Whittaker’s speed is a problem. He clips de Ridder with a few clean shots. De Ridder tries a takedown, stuffed again. He pushes Whittaker to the fence, but Whittaker stays composed with great defense. A crisp jab lands for Whittaker, then a left hook as de Ridder presses in. De Ridder fires back with jabs, but Whittaker lands a solid right. Clear round for Whittaker.
Second round started with de Ridder swinging a wild left that lands, almost makes Whittaker slip. Another takedown stuffed. De Ridder lunges in with a right, but Whittaker answers with one of his own. Looping right lands for de Ridder. Whittaker fires back and manages distance perfectly. De Ridder ups the pressure, shoots again, and mixes in jabs. This time, he gets the takedown. Just under two minutes to the round Whittaker keeps hiis feet inside to stop De Ridder from passing and looking for a way back.
Round three started with Whittaker opening fast with a two-punch combo but de Ridder slips out. De Ridder now moves forward and mixes punches with knees to the body. Eventually overhand right by Whittaker drops de Ridder. Whittaker jumps in for the finish with ground-and-pound, but de Ridder stays tough and survives. They trade jabs as things settle. Whittaker charges with combos. De Ridder shoots in at the right moment and gets the takedown, putting Whittaker on his back with just over two minutes to go. He settles into half guard and starts looking for openings. Whittaker tries to inch his way toward the fence, but he’s trapped. De Ridder briefly slides into side control and sneaks in a few shots. Whittaker does a good job minimizing the damage off his back, staying calm and composed. It’s a tight round, but that knockdown earlier likely gave him the edge.
In round four, Ridder shoots right away. Whittaker fends it off, pinned against the cage. He tries to shake de Ridder off, but the pressure is on. De Ridder sticks with it, staying heavy and protecting himself. Another takedown blocked happened, the two fighters clinched on the fence. De Ridder lands a couple shoulder shots. He tries for a trip, but Whittaker ends up on top briefly, then backs out to strike. Jab from Whittaker, de Ridder answers with his own and a left hook. Both look tired at the end of the round
The final round came and Whittaker bounces out sharp, looking fresh. He lands a jab and a counter as de Ridder ducks in. Single-leg attempt by de Ridder shrugged off. Whittaker just misses a right as they tie up again. De Ridder presses him to the cage, but Whittaker circles out. Another knee from de Ridder, then clinch again. Whittaker breaks free and resets in the center. De Ridder tries another single-leg and trip, but Whittaker’s takedown defense holds strong. De Ridder pushes him back to the fence. One last takedown from de Ridder stuffed. Whittaker tries to counter as de Ridder holds him tight.
The two men had their moments, but Whittaker’s composure and striking edge made the difference. De Ridder showed heart and toughness, but it just wasn’t enough on the night. Another big win for “The Reaper” and a reminder that in this game, experience still counts for a lot. “Pretty butt hurt to be honest,” Whittaker said reacting to the loss. “He did what he said he was going to do. The pressure was a lot. He has a lot of skill sets. He walked away a winner. Good on him.”
The co-main event of the night also lit up the night with an electric clash between former bantamweight king Petr “No Mercy” Yan and the surging knockout artist Marcus “The Maniac” McGhee . It was a high-stake battle that had fans on the edge of their seats from the opening bell till the end.
Marcus McGhee entered the Octagon full of energy, singing along to his walkout track. Petr Yan followed with calm intensity. After a respectful glove touch, McGhee opened with leg kicks, and both fighters traded kicks early. McGhee landed a hard one, but Yan responded with a crisp punch that briefly dropped McGhee. Once back up, Yan connected with sharp combinations, and the round ended with heavy exchanges.
Round two picked up quickly, with McGhee landing more kicks. He attempted a takedown, but Yan defended well. Later, McGhee landed a strong combination that nearly put Yan down, but Yan answered with a punch that got the crowd buzzing. McGhee went for another takedown before the round ended but was stuffed again.
In Round three, Yan took control. He opened with punches, then pinned McGhee against the fence and scored a takedown. McGhee quickly returned to his feet but was pressed again before Yan secured another takedown in the center. Yan maintained top control and clinched McGhee to the fence until the final horn. After three rounds, Yan was awarded a unanimous decision victory. In his post-fight interview, he invited his sons into the Octagon and expressed gratitude to the fans.
Check out UFC Abu Dhabi results below:
Main Card
Reinier De Ridder def. Robert Whittaker via split decision (48-47×2, 47-48)
Petr Yan def. Marcus McGhee via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
Shara Magomedov def. Marc-Andre Barriault via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
Asu Almabayev def. Jose Ochoa via unanimous decision (30-27×2, 29-28)
Bogdan Guskov def. Nikita Krylov via TKO: R1, 4.18
Preliminary Card
Bryce Mitchell def. Said Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
Muslim Salikhov def. Carlos Leal via KO: R1, 0.42
Davey Grant def. Da’Mon Blackshear via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
Tabatha Ricci def. Amanda Ribas via TKO: R2, 2.59
Billy Elekana def. Ibo Aslan via unanimous decision (30-27×2, 29-28)
Steven Nguyen def. Mohammad Yahya via TKO: R2, 5.00
Martin Buday def. Marcus Buchecha via unanimous decision (29-28
