A potential middleweight title opportunity hangs in the balance when surging Dutch sensation Reinier de Ridder returns to the Octagon at UFC Abu Dhabi for a high-stakes clash with ex-champion Robert Whittaker.
Coming off a spectacular finish of Bo Nickal in May, ‘RDR’ will look to skyrocket himself from the top 15 to the top five with a highlight-reel finish against Whittaker, establishing himself as the division’s next man up. Meanwhile, ‘The Reaper’ will look to shake off a brutal submission loss against Khamzat Chimaev in October and prove to the world that he is still a threat at 185 pounds.
Round 1
De Ridder immediately goes on the attack, digging in for a single-leg. Whittaker fends off the attempt, clinching up in the middle of the Octagon. The fighters sit in a stalemate, waiting to see which one will make a move first. Whittaker finally separates, and both fighters reset. Whittaker lands a one-two near the fence. De Ridder shoots for a takedown, but Whittaker stuffs it and lands a jab. Whittaker throws a left.
De Ridder closes in, but he eats a left from Whittaker. De Ridder shoots again, but he can’t get a good hold on his opponent’s leg. De Ridder manages to clinch up, pushing Whittaker against the fence, but ‘The Reaper’ breaks the grips and circles away. Whittaker throws a right that falls short. Whittaker offers up a couple of front kicks just before the round ends.
Round 2
De Ridder comes out looking for another single leg, but Whittaker continues to sprawl and fend him off. Whittaker responds with a right that de Ridder eats. Whittaker is now stalking his opponent. De Ridder throws a left that connects, but Whittaker comes right back with a one-two. De Ridder scores with a step-in knee to the midsection. De Ridder is trying to jab his way inside and lands with another nasty knee to the middle.
De Ridder is starting to find the mark, landing another big knee. The knee appears to have hurt Whittaker, allowing de Ridder to finally get ‘The Reaper’ down with two minutes to go in the stanza. De Ridder settles into Whittaker’s guard, offering up a few pot shots before the horn.
Round 3
With a big boost in confidence, de Ridder comes out swinging and connects with a one-two that has Whittaker retreating. As de Ridder pursues, Whittaker unloads a massive counter right hand that puts the Dutchman down. Whittaker drops bombs from the top, but de Ridder fights his way out of danger and gets back upright. Both fighters are showing fatigue as de Ridder pushes Whittaker against the fence momentarily. De Ridder gets back on his front foot, but it’s Whittaker who connects with a counter right as we hit the halfway point of the round.
De Ridder times a takedown attempt and gets Whittaker to the mat with ease. ‘RDR’ gets to work, attempting to pass Whittaker’s halfguard. De Ridder nearly locks in a d’arce choke, but Whittaker sees it coming and defends well. De Ridder drops a few shots late, looking to steal back the round after getting dropped early in the third.
Round 4
De Ridder immediately closes the distance, putting Whittaker’s back against the fence. De Ridder attempted to take things to the mat, but Whittaker momentarily reversed position, taking de Ridder’s back. ‘RDR’ wasted no time scrambling and separating. De Ridder continues to walk Whittaker down, forcing him into the clinch. Whittaker separates and lands with an overhand right. De Ridder fires back with a jab.
Whittaker fires back with a snappy left jab. De Ridder’s movements are looking labored, but he stings Whittaker with a looping left hook. ‘RDR’ fails to answer back as Whittaker stalks forward through the end of the round.
Round 5
After a lackluster fourth round, Whittaker came out swinging right away, prompting de Ridder to shoot for a single leg. Whittaker defended, but that allowed ‘RDR’ to tie him up against the fence, just as he did for much of the previous round. De Ridder lands a couple of body shots in the clinch before Whittaker separates and circles away. De Ridder lands another knee up the middle, using it to close the distance and clinch up again.
Whittaker fends him off, but it’s not long before de Ridder uses a single-leg attempt to work his way back into the clinch. De Ridder is spamming takedown attempts, but he’s not setting them up whatsoever. Whittaker finds himself trapped in another clinch before separating with less than two minutes on the clock. Whittaker rips to the body. De Ridder comes back with a jab. ‘RDR’ closes the distance with the knee once again.
The crowd is getting a bit restless due to the lack of action. They separate, and de Ridder eats a right. Whittaker is trying to make a big impression at the end of the round, but de Ridder clinches up, holding his opponent against the fence and riding out the remainder of the fight.
Official Result: Reinier de Ridder def. Robert Whittaker via split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47).
Check Out Highlights From Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder at UFC Abu Dhabi:
😱 Robert Whittaker gave it all trying to finish Reinier De Ridder.
Exhausting fight for both.
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) July 26, 2025
¡LA VICTORIA ES PARA DE RIDDER!🤩💪🇳🇱
Reinier De Ridder se lleva la victoria por decisión dividida tras una pelea de poder a poder.🔥💥#UFCxFSMX pic.twitter.com/b79EUUXWrV
— FOX Sports MX (@FOXSportsMX) July 26, 2025
Reinier de Ridder gets the split decision victory over Robert Whittaker#UFCAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/aoQzCuhDL9
— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) July 26, 2025
