UFC in Abu Dhabi: Reinier de Ridder edges Robert Whittaker in five-round thriller
In a closely contested five-round battle fought, de Ridder (now, 21-2) outlasted the Australian veteran despite suffering a knockdown in round three. Two of the three judges scored the bout 48-47 in favor of the Dutchman, with the third siding 48-47 with Whittaker (now, 27-9).
'I don't want to fight like this [again], man, this guy was too tough,' de Ridder said in his post-fight interview from the Octabon. 'I expected to take him down. He was so tough, so durable. Heavy *expletive* hands.'
De Ridder, who came into the fight ranked 13th in the UFC middleweight division, had to survive a dangerous moment early in the third round when Whittaker dropped him with a clean right hand to the chin. Despite the scare, de Ridder recovered, scoring in the championship rounds with control.
For Whittaker, it marks a second consecutive loss and his third defeat in his last five fights, putting the former champion at a critical juncture in his career. At 34, the Australian remains a top-tier talent but has struggled to re-establish himself as the division's elite since losing his belt to Israel Adesanya in 2019.
Other Highlights from UFC Abu Dhabi
Petr Yan dominates co-main event
Former bantamweight champion Petr Yan returned to winning ways with a unanimous decision victory over Marcus McGhee. Yan controlled the bout from start to finish, outlanding McGhee in total strikes, significant strikes, and takedowns, and reaffirming his status as a contender in the stacked 135-pound division.
Shara Magomedov gets back on track
In another middleweight bout, Shara 'Bullet' Magomedov bounced back from his first professional defeat, suffered at the hands of Michael Page earlier this year in February, with a unanimous decision win over Marc-Andre Barriault. The two fighters went the distance, throwing significant strikes at each other, earning the fight of the night bonus.
Steven Nguyen makes history as Emirati fighter leaves critically injured
Earlier on the UFC Abu Dhabi prelims, Steven Nguyen delivered a record-setting performance – and a tough homecoming for UAE's own Mohammad Yahya. Nguyen (10-2) dropped Yahya (12-5) a staggering six times across two rounds, setting a new UFC record before the fight was stopped due to a grotesquely swollen eye at the end of Round 2.
Fighting out of Fortis MMA, Nguyen earned his first UFC win in emphatic fashion. The doctor waved off the bout before Round 3, as the arena gasped at the sight of Yahya's badly distorted face on the big screen. It was a gritty showing from Yahya, but after back-to-back losses in the UFC, his future with the promotion now hangs in the balance.
UFC to return to Abu Dhabi in October
It was a packed night at Etihad Arena as thousands tuned in to watch the popular promotion which also had the likes of Islam Makhachev and Shavkat Rakhmanov in attendance. UFC is slated to return to the UAE capital on October 26 for UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane, another exciting bout for the Heavyweight title.
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