UFC Fight Night: Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder Preview & Prediction
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With a title shot potentially at stake, Reinier de Ridder takes on former middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker, in the main event of UFC on ABC 9 in Abu Dhabi.
Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder facts
What time are Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder expected to walk out?
Where is UFC on ABC 9: Whittaker vs de Ridder? Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ABC 9: Whittaker vs de Ridder? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC on ABC 9
What TV channel is UFC on ABC 9 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+ (undercard) & ABC (main card)
Where can I stream UFC on ABC 9? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs de Ridder main card
Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder (Middleweight)
Petr Yan vs Marcus McGhee (Bantamweight)
Sharabutdin Magomedov vs Marc-Andre Barriault (Middleweight)
Asu Almabayev vs Jose Ochoa (Flyweight)
Nikita Krylov vs Bogdan Guskov (Light Heavyweight)
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs de Ridder prelims
Bryce Mitchell vs Said Nurmagomedov (Bantamweight)
Muslim Salikhov vs Carlos Leal Miranda (Welterweight)
Davey Grant vs Da'Mon Blackshear (Bantamweight)
Amanda Ribas vs Tabatha Ricci (Women’s Strawweight)
Ibo Aslan vs Billy Elekana (Light Heavyweight)
Mohammad Yahya vs Steven Nguyen (Featherweight)
Martin Buday vs Marcus Buchecha (Heavyweight)
Robert Whittaker: “The Reaper” returns to stake his claim as one of middleweight’s top contenders
While “Bobby Knuckles” may be coming off a devastating loss to the division’s boogeyman, Khamzat Chimaev, there are few men at 185 pounds who have proven capable of giving Robert Whittaker (26-8) a legitimate run for his money throughout his UFC run. Barring his most recent setback, the fan-favorite Australian standout has run roughshod over the elite of the division outside of the former and current champions, Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis respectively, with two impressive wins over Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov immediately preceding his jaw-crushing defeat to “Borz” at UFC 308.
Reinier de Ridder: The upstart ONE Championship export looks for his biggest win to date
Giving the current middleweight kingpin a run for his money as the goofiest contender currently operating in the UFC, former ONE Championship Middleweight and Light Heavyweight world champion Reiner de Ridder (20-2) has taken his new promotion by storm since arriving in late 2024. Outside of a shaky debut against Gerald Meerschaert, “The Dutch Knight” has been a revelation in his UFC tenure to date. The grappling standout stopped Kevin Holland with a rear-naked choke in the first round at UFC 311 before fraud-checking Bo Nickal with vicious knees to the body last time out.
Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder prediction
While the brutal defeat to Chimaev last October indicates that Whittaker’s days as a top contender are finally coming to an end, it’s hard to pick against “The Reaper” here despite De Ridder’s impressive run of form. It’s easy to get excited about a fresh new face, but it’s also hard to discount the fact that the former middleweight champion has fought and beaten a murderer’s row of competition at 185 pounds, 9 times out of 10, for the last decade.
By contrast, what is arguably De Ridder’s most impressive win in the promotion to date has come via TKO against one of the most limited MMA strikers in recent memory. The towering Dutchman’s significant size advantage means that he could conceivably big-brother his latest opponent, but Whittaker’s speed, finesse and general well-roundedness still figures to be lightyears ahead of anybody de Ridder has faced in his career to date.
Look for the Aussie’s elite takedown defense and elusive point striking style to frustrate the ONE Championship export on the way to a decisive decision victory in Abu Dhabi, with the outside chance that “Bobby Knuckles” clobbers De Ridder with his trademark 1-2, head kick en route to a TKO.
Prediction: Robert Whittaker to win
