Two of the top middleweights in the world headlined the recent UFC Abu Dhabi event that aired live on ABC in Reinier de Ridder and Robert Whittaker.
Many wondered just who this Reinier de Ridder person was when he arrived in the UFC following a champion run with ONE. But nobody is questioning him now.
De Ridder knocked off former UFC champion Robert Whittaker in a razor-close five-round battle that headlined the UFC on ABC event from Abu Dhabi. After 25 minutes of action, de Ridder was awarded the split decision.
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For the 34-year-old, it was one of the biggest wins of his career. Prior to joining the UFC, de Ridder was a middleweight and light heavyweight champion in ONE, a top promotion based out of Asia. He made his UFC debut in 2024 and is 4-0 since with three finishes.
The co-main event saw former champion Petr Yan top Marcus McGhee, as Sharabutdin Magomedov, Asu Almabayev and Bogdan Guskov were also main card winners.
Magomedov and Marc-Andre Barriault earned "Fight of the Night" while Muslim Salikhov and Steven Nguyen picked up "Performance of the Night" bonuses.
UFC Abu Dhabi Results
- Reinier de Ridder def. Robert Whittaker via split decision
- Petr Yan def. Marcus McGhee via unanimous decision
- Sharabutdin Magomedov def. Marc-Andre Barriault via unanimous decision
- Asu Almabayev def. Jose Ochoa via unanimous decision
- Bogdan Guskov def. Nikita Krylov via KO (strike) at 4:18 of Round 1
- Bryce Mitchell def. Said Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision
- Muslim Shalikhov def. Carlos Leal Miranda via KO (strike) at :42 of Round 1
- Davey Grant def. Da'Mon Blackshear via unanimous decision
- Tabatha Ricci def. Amanda Ribas via TKO (strikes) at 2:59 of Round 2
- Billy Elekana def. Ibo Aslan via unanimous decision
- Steven Nguyen def. Mohammad Yahya via TKO (eye injury) at 5:00 of Round 2
- Martin Buday def. Marcus Buchecha via unanimous decision
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Category: General Sports
