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USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Reinier de Ridder: Pressure key in beating Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 9
ABU DHABI – Reinier de Ridder plans on bringing the fight to Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 9. De Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) meets former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC) in the July 26 main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. De Ridder won't put too much stock into Whittaker's quick submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308. Instead, he expects the version who blasted Ikram Aliskerov for a first-round knockout at UFC on ABC 6. "He's been at the top for so long. We've seen him win spectacularly. We've seen him lose spectacularly," De Ridder told MMA Junkie of Whittaker. "The Khamzat fight I don't put too much in because it was clear that that wasn't a great choke. The positioning wasn't perfect, the positioning of his arms wasn't perfect. I just think he got lucky there. That injury was already in place, and he was able to take advantage of that. "But a little while before that against Ikram (Aliskerov), he did amazing. Robert did very well, and it showed us how dangerous he still is. It's a great warning for me that I cannot go into the fight like Ikram did. I cannot give him space. I cannot give him time to look and see, because he has real knockout power, and very nice, clean, straight shots. I've got to be very mindful of that." De Ridder was able to walk down previously undefeated Bo Nickal, wear him out, and finish him at UFC on ESPN 67. He plans on doing the same to Whittaker. "The pressure is the most important thing for me," De Ridder said. "I've got to put pressure on him. I've got to bring the heat early because I cannot let him move. I cannot let him see what's happening. I cannot let him play. He likes to bounce. He likes to look, and I'm sure I'm going to take him down. It's what I like the most, and I have to put him on his ass at least once. But we'll see if I can do damage meanwhile before."
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Reinier de Ridder won't mind if Dricus Du Plessis or Khamzat Chimaev wins at UFC 319
Reinier de Ridder has a vested interest in the UFC 319 main event. De Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) will look to emerge into title contention when he takes on former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC) in the UFC on ABC 9 main event July 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Less than a month later, Dricus Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) defends his middleweight title against undefeated Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the Aug. 16 main event from United Center in Chicago. De Ridder sees pros and cons to either fighter winning when it comes to his title run. "I think if it's going to be Khamzat, then it might slow everything a bit down because he doesn't really fight that often," De Ridder told MMA Junkie Radio. "So, that being said, it would be nice if it's Dricus, but I don't really mind too much. "Khamzat would be nice because he's more of a guy with hype behind him than Dricus does, even with Dricus being the champ. But we'll see. We'll see what happens, and I imagine I'll be fighting both of them before next year's over anyway." De Ridder has surprised in his UFC run so far, scoring finishes of Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland, and most recently formerly unbeaten Bo Nickal at UFC on ESPN 67 in the span of six months. Nickal to Whittaker is a big step up in competition for the former ONE dual champion, but De Ridder doesn't see Whittaker underestimating him. "I don't know, he's not much of a trash talker anyway," De Ridder said of Whittaker. "I doubt we'll hear if he still doubts me, but we're going to find out. As you guys saw, the fights have been going very well, and I feel like I've really improved, as well, over the last year. Just because of the sheer amount I've been training with the guys of the highest level. So I don't think he's really doubting me, but we'll see."
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Cory Sandhagen 'not going to be afraid to wrestle' UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili
LAS VEGAS - Cory Sandhagen is not backing down from the challenge of dethroning UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. Sandhagen (18-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC) is expected to be next in line for Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC) after finishing Deiveson Figueiredo in the UFC on ESPN 67 headliner in May. Nobody's had an answer for Dvalishvili's relentless pace, grappling, and cardio, with his resume including wins over Sean O'Malley twice, Umar Nurmagomedov, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, and more. However, Sandhagen says he won't fear taking the fight to Dvalishvili – even in the grappling exchanges. "I mean, everyone has holes," Sandhagen told MMA Junkie Radio of Dvalishvili. "I'm going to be better than him, that's how I'm going to do it. I'm going to go out, and I'm just going to be better everywhere. I'm not going to be afraid to wrestle him. I'm not going to buy into this narrative that Merab is this unbeatable thing. In all of his fights, he's had moments where he's looked beatable, and I'm going to go out there and make Merab deal with me." Sandhagen, who's beaten contenders such as former flyweight title holder Figueiredo, Song Yadong, and Marlon Vera, is confident that his skillset has rounded up well enough to become UFC champion. "I'm really good right now," Sandhagen said. "I train a lot, man. I train a lot, a lot, and that pays off after a long time. I know that everyone says they train a lot, but I know what they mean when they say that, and I know what I mean when I say it. I train a lot, I'm always getting better, I'm always adding in new things. "One of my favorite things about the sport is adding new weapons, and I know not everyone is like that, but I'm built that way. So, yeah, I'm pumped. I get to go out and look different in six months or whenever it is that we fight and be the best version of myself and a world champ."
USA Today
10-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Henry Cejudo high on UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili but thinks loss to Cory Sandhagen coming
Henry Cejudo high on UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili but thinks loss to Cory Sandhagen coming Henry Cejudo sees Cory Sandhagen as the one to dethrone UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC) notched his second title defense when he submitted Sean O'Malley in Saturday's UFC 316 main event. He has already been touted by the likes of Jon Anik as the greatest bantamweight of all time. Cejudo thinks Dvalishvili can reach that territory if he can get past Sandhagen (18-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC), who is expected to be next in line. "If he beats Cory Sandhagen in this fight, yes, I'm going to put him at pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world," Cejudo said of Dvalishvili on his "Pound 4 Pound" podcast with Kamaru Usman. "One hundred percent." However, Cejudo isn't sure if Dvalishvili is capable of beating Sandhagen, who's coming off a stoppage win over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC on ESPN 67 last month. "But that being said, check this out: As much as I complimented Merab, I don't think he beats Cory Sandhagen," Cejudo said. "I've been really good with my picks in the bantamweight division. The only reason why I feel the person that could give, that's the most problematic for a guy like Merab Dvalishvili, it is Cory Sandhagen because Cory Sandhagen brings a lot more thump than a guy like Sean O'Malley, and he is a submission threat a lot more than O'Malley. And he's big. The other thing, too, Cory Sandhagen can get up to his feet. "He's shown that against a guy like Umar Nurmagomedov. He throws knees up the middle, the one that he caught Frankie Edgar with, the dude is freaking dangerous all around. And I do believe or I have a feeling that the person to potentially get the job done with a guy like Merab – and again, I've got to compliment Merab. You have to, he's the bantamweight GOAT, but if there's a guy in that division right now with all the tools and the fact that he can get up, and he's young, and he's younger than him, it is Cory Sandhagen."
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Miesha Tate undecided on UFC future: 'There is no right or wrong answer'
Miesha Tate undecided on UFC future: 'There is no right or wrong answer' Former UFC bantamweight champion Miesha Tate is unsure if she'll ever fight again. After a 17-month layoff, Tate (20-10 MMA, 7-7 UFC) returned against Yana Santos at UFC on ESPN 67 from Des Moines, Iowa earlier this month. She suffered a unanimous decision loss, marking the third setback in her past four fights. Tate explained that in her submission win over Julia Avila in December 2023, she suffered an injury that caused the long layoff. "I had my hooks in on her back, one of which was a bit shallow, and I really went to be very aggressive and try to force her from back to belly, belly down, and I ripped two if my ligaments, and I had to have reconstructive surgery," Tate said in an Instagram post. "It was by far the hardest thing I've ever had to do. "It was harder than coming back after having my two kids, and I, at multiple points, bawled my eyes out and thought I would never be able to fight again, which I really wanted to have that fight. And off of an 18-month layoff, the biggest injury of my career, I can honestly say that I am happy with this performance, and I am happy even in a loss." Tate is not ready to commit to retirement but said her walk against Santos may have been her final one. "I am not making any final decisions," Tate said. "Remains to be seen whether I will fight again or not. I'm not going to clarify either one of those because I think there is no right or wrong answer."
