The UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. De Ridder fight card in Abu Dhabi on Saturday was headlined by a middleweight bout between former champion Robert Whittaker and former ONE middleweight and light heavyweight champion Reinier de Ridder.
Whittaker entered Saturday’s main event coming off a submission loss to the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev. Ranked No. 5 in the division, Whittaker hoped to make his way back to a title fight starting with a win over the Dutchman.
De Ridder made his octagon debut in November 2024 and has finished all three of his opponents including Kevin Holland and Bo Nickal. A win over Whittaker would catapult him in the rankings and put him in contender status.
Whittaker pressed forward to start the fight. De Ridder quickly went for a single-leg takedown. Whittaker defended the attempt and separated from the clinch. Whittaker connected with a combination. De Ridder looked for a takedown but Whittaker stuffed the attempt. Whittaker’s jab popped De Ridder’s head back. Whittaker connected with a counter right hand. Another right hand found a home for Whittaker.
De Ridder failed on another takedown attempt but was able to get to the clinch. Whittaker circled free and landed a jab. De Ridder stepped in the pocket with a knee to the body. Whittaker landed a right hand late in the round. MMAWeekly scored the frame 10-9 for Whittaker.
Whittaker came out aggressive in the second. He bounced on his feet on the outside. De Ridder briefly looked for a takedown but it wasn’t there. Whittaker connected with a combination and began stalking De Ridder. De Ridder was outmatched on the feet. He stepped in with a knee but Whittaker answered with a right hand. De Ridder delivered a hard knee to the body. His jab began to land. He delivered another knee that may have hurt Whittaker. He took Whittaker down. De Ridder peppered Whittaker with short punches to the body. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for De Ridder.
De Ridder pressed forward with punches. They landed. Whittaker circled away. Whittaker landed a right hand that sent De Ridder crashing to the canvas. Whittaker stood over him and dropped with a right hand. De Ridder stood and quickly clinched. Both men looked fatigued. They separated and Whittaker defended a takedown attempt. De Ridder ate a right hand but kept moving forward. Whittaker landed a right hand. De Ridder changed levels and secured a takedown at the midway point in the round.
On the ground, De Ridder worked from the half guard position before passing to side control. Whittaker regained half guard but De Ridder moved right back into side control. De Ridder postured up in the closing seconds and landed elbows. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Whittaker with the knockdown but it’s difficult to say how the judges scored the round.
De Ridder pressured Whittaker to start the fourth. He delivered a knee to the body and clinched. Whittaker circled free and landed a right hand. De Ridder tied him up but Whittaker spun away. De Ridder quickly looked for another takedown. He pressed Whittaker against the cage and tried to drag him to the ground. Whittaker gained top position and they scrambled to their feet. De Ridder’s jab landed at a more often rate. Whittaker responded with a stiff jab. De Ridder continued to land his jab. Whittaker doubled up with his jab. De Ridder delivered a hard knee to the body. He landed a right hand that wobbled Whittaker. Whittaker landed a right and in the closing seconds. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for De Ridder.
Whittaker came out in the final round using his jab. De Ridder pressed forward and cliched. He delivered short punches to the body. Whitter separated but De Ridder immediately closed the distance and clinched. Whittaker circled free again but De Ridder quickly got back to the clinch. They separated and Whittaker landed a jab while De Ridder connected with a knee to the body before clinching. Whittaker turned him and separated. Whittaker went to the body with back-to-back right hands. De Ridder responded with a jab. He closed the distance and tied Whittaker up. Whittaker circled away. De Ridder tied Whittaker up in the closing moments. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for De Ridder.
The judges scored the fight for De Ridder via unanimous decision. The scorecards read 48-47, 47-48 and 48-47.
