Reinier de Ridder sparks UFC chaos after calling Abu Dhabi scorecard completely wrong in win over Robert Whittaker
Reinier de Ridder defeated former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in a split decision in the main event at UFC on ABC 9, which was held on July 26, 2025 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Two judges voted de Ridder 48–47, but one judge had Robert Whittaker winning by the same score. When the announcer read those scorecards, Reinier de Ridder looked visibly surprised. He had hoped to finish Robert Whittaker but couldn't, so the final outcome hinged on what the judges saw during those five rounds.
What was Reinier de Ridder's response to judges' split decision
After the fight, Reinier de Ridder spoke to media at the cage and said he was taken aback by one judge's card. He said, 'I was surprised one judge scored it completely wrong.
I thought I had three rounds at least.' He added, 'It is what it is. I hoped to finish him and I didn't, so you never know what the judges make of it. But I'll be sure to finish the next guy again.'
Two judges scored rounds 2, 4 and 5 for de Ridder, while one judge awarded rounds 1, 3 and 4 to Whittaker. According to media scorecards via MMADecisions.com, nine of sixteen media outlets had de Ridder winning and seven scored it for Whittaker.
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Even after taking a hard punch and being knocked down in round 3, de Ridder landed more total strikes (192 vs. 70) and held Whittaker down for over nine minutes compared to thirty-six seconds, according to stats shared at the post-fight press conference.
Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder split fans and fighters after
UFC Abu Dhabi
thriller
The fight was evenly matched and exciting. Whittaker had a strong early showing. In round 3 he dropped de Ridder and landed heavy ground strikes. But de Ridder kept coming back with knees, takedown pressure, and clinch control.
He wore Whittaker down over the final rounds.
Following the decision, several fighters and fans weighed in. Some believed the fight was tied 2‑2 going into round 5. Prominent names like Henry Cejudo, Islam Makhachev, and Alan Jouban sensed each combatant had won two rounds.
Other UFC fighters, including Belal Muhammad, believed de Ridder deserved the triumph; Saidyokub Kakhramonov preferred Whittaker depending on his score.
De Ridder is still unbeaten in his UFC run at 4–0 within the Octagon notwithstanding the dispute. The win puts him close to a top‑five ranking in the middleweight division. He has called for a chance at the winner of Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev, which is scheduled for UFC 319 on August 16, 2025.
Also Read:
Yes, Robert Whittaker knocked down de Ridder in Round 3 but lost on the scorecards.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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