Reinier de Ridder picked up the biggest win of his career on Saturday when he took a hard-fought split decision over former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC Fight Night from Abu Dhabi.

Reinier de Ridder has officially entered the world of the middleweight elite after a grueling battle against Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi.

The latest UFC Fight Night event was held in Abu Dhabi and was headlined by a middleweight clash between Robert Whittaker and Reinier De Ridder.

Robert Whittaker is holding his head high, as usual. The former middleweight champion suffered a loss this past Saturday in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi, dropping a close split decision to Reinier de Ridder. Whittaker battled de Ridder for 25 minutes ...

After UFC Abu Dhabi last night (July 26, 2025) on “Fight Island,” it’s clear Whittaker’s time near the top has come to an end.

SportsLine's Daniel Vithlani reveals his picks for the UFC Fight Night fight card from Etihad Arena at Yas Island in Yas West United Arab Emirates on Saturday

Robert Whittaker came up short against Reinier de Ridder in the main event at UFC Abu Dhabi over the weekend. The fight went the distance, with a close fourth round seemingly tipping the split decision in de Ridder’s favour. Some fans felt Whittaker had ...

Robert Whittaker’s teeth were brutally shattered in his last UFC fight. And with ‘The Reaper’ set to return to the same venue as his crushing defeat to Khamzat Chimaev last time