A middleweight clash with title implications headlines UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi. Former UFC champion Robert Whittaker and former two-division ONE Championship king Reinier de Ridder fight weeks before a 185-pound title fight at UFC 319.
Whittaker (26-8) is a respected former champion who’s never quite out of the mix. His only losses in a decade are to current UFC champion Dricus du Plessis, former champion Israel Adesanya, and top contender Khamzat Chimaev. A win on Saturday is crucial to keep him near the top of the division. Against De Ridder, a fleet-footed Whittaker must avoid a relentless pursuit for takedowns and submissions.
“He has to shoot early. That will dictate the pace,” Whittaker told CBS Sports. “He’ll shoot, I’ll stuff it and I’ll hurt him with my hands. I want to get my mits on him.
“He’s fought in huge fights. He has particular skills that, if he executes well, make it a tough night at the office. He’s someone I’ve worked diligently for.”
Check out the full interview with Robert Whittaker below.
De Ridder (20-2) has UFC fans stumped. RDR underdelivered on lofty expectations in an ugly debut win against Gerald Meerschaert. Yet he performed better against tougher competition, ripping through Kevin Holland and Bo Nickal. De Ridder keeps a high pace inside the cage. A win over Whittaker, his fourth in eight months, vaults him into contender status. De Ridder is even willing to make a three-week turnaround should Du Plessis or Chimaev pull out of UFC 319.
“I don’t have more than five years to fight,” de Ridder told CBS Sports. “I’m trying to make the best of it. Most likely, the fight goes through and there’s no chance I fought for the title too soon. If it happens, I’ll be ready. I don’t know how Kevin Holland does it because he has even more fights than me. All these training camps are tough on the body.”
Saturday’s co-main event is a peculiar one. Former bantamweight champion Petr Yan (No. 3) should be on the verge of a title shot, but finds himself fighting Marcus McGhee (No. 12). Yan should be within reach of a title fight with another win; meanwhile, McGhee winning seriously shakes up the division. A preliminary fight between Bryce Mitchell and Said Nurmagomedov is another one to keep an eye on.
Below is the rest of the fight card for Saturday, along with the latest odds, before we provide a prediction and pick for the main event.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Robert Whittaker -145 | Reinier de Ridder +122 | Middleweight |
| Petr Yan -360 | Marcus McGhee +280 | Bantamweight |
| Sharabutdin Magomedov -650 | Marc-Andre Barriault +450 | Middleweight |
| Asu Almabayev -110 | Jose Ochoa -110 | Flyweight |
| Nikita Krylov -190 | Bogdan Guskov +160 | Light heavyweight |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: July 26 | Start time: 3 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: Etihad Arena — Abu Dhabi
TV channel: ABC | Stream: Fubo (Start watching, save $20!)
Prediction
Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder: De Ridder’s offense is nothing to scoff at. His pressure and finishing ability have broken solid fighters. But the escalation between relative newcomer Nickal and former champ Whittaker is severe. Whittaker has a wealth of experience fighting better wrestlers than this weekend’s opponent. De Ridder doesn’t have the physicality to barrel over Whittaker like Chimaev or Du Plessis, nor force the finish. He also lacks the striking defense to cope with someone with Whittaker’s excellence. De Ridder plans to stay tight to Whittaker. It’s the right gameplan, but I don’t think he can execute it. Whittaker via KO2
