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USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC Fight Night Whittaker vs. De Ridder: Time, how to watch UFC from Abu Dhabi
Robert Whittaker will face Reinier De Ridder face off in a middleweight bout at UFC Fight Night at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, July 26. Whittaker enters the ring with a record of 27 wins and 8 losses. He aims to turn things around in his first fight of 2025, following his last match, which ended in a first-round submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 in October 2024. On the other hand, De Ridder has a record of 20 wins and two losses and is currently on a four-fight winning streak, and will be considered Whittaker's toughest test to date. This fight will mark De Ridder's third of the year, following victories over Kevin Holland at UFC 311 in January and Bo Nickal at UFC Fight Night in May 2025. Here is how to watch UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder on Saturday from Abu Dhabi: UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs De Ridder: Predictions, odds, how to watch UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder will take place in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, July 26. How to watch UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder coverage starts at noon ET on ESPN, ESPN+ and Disney+, with the main card beginning at 3 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN+ and Disney+.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ABC 9: Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder odds, picks and predictions
In a 5-round middleweight bout in the main event, Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder meet Saturday at UFC on ABC 9 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The prelims begin at noon ET (ESPN / ESPN+) with the main card at 3 p.m. (ABC / ESPN+). Their fight is expected to start at approximately 5:45 p.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's UFC odds around the UFC on ABC 9: Whittaker vs. de Ridder odds, and make our expert UFC picks and predictions. Records: Whittaker (27-8-0) | de Ridder (20-2-0) Whittaker is looking to bounce back after a Round-1 submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 last time out in late October. He is just 3-3 in his past 6 fights, but losses to Chimaev, former division champ Dricus Du Plessis (July 2023) and Israel Adesanya (February 2022) is not embarrassing in the least. Whittaker's last win, 2 fights ago, was a Round-1 KO/TKO win over Ikram Aliskerov in a Fight Night main even in late June 2024. Six of his past 9 bouts went the distance, with 5 wins via unanimous decision and the title fight loss to Adesanya at UFC 271. For de Ridder, he is viewed as a fighter on the rise. Since joining the company, he has 3 consecutive victories. The most impressive might have been a Round-2 knockout of Bo Nickal last time out in early May, handing the prospect his first UFC loss. He also has submission wins over veterans Kevin Holland (Jan. 18, 2025) and Gerald Meerschaert (Nov. 9, 2024), so he hasn't exactly been fighting tomato cans to get to this point. The southpaw de Ridder has a 4.5-inch reach advantage, although Whittaker has a 4.54-to-3.25 significant-strikes-landed-per-minute advantage. The "Dutch Knight" de Ridder, who is from the Netherlands, has been much more accurate with those strikes, though, landing at a blistering 78.66% pace in his 3 bouts with the UFC, as opposed to just 45.99% for Whittaker. He also likes to get the fight to the canvas early and often, posting a 4.74 takedown average, and a 38.89% mark on takedown accuracy, while posting a 1.36 submission average. Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here. UFC on ABC 9: Whittaker vs. de Ridder odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:14 a.m. ET. UFC on ABC 9: Whittaker vs. de Ridder picks and predictions Fight result (2-way line or moneyline) This is going to be a pretty good fight, and it's tough to pick a winner. Whittaker was once on the precipice of a title, but he is just 3-3 in his past 6 fights. He's looking to get a victory here to get back onto the path for another title shot. However, DE RIDDER (+120) is the better value at plus-money. He is on the rise. To get to this point, he disposed of veterans Holland and Meerschaert, while stunning the division with a knockout of previous middleweight golden boy Nickal. de Ridder is a top-notch wrestler, but he also has tremendous punching power, and he can get the job done in a number of ways. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! Over/Under No (-285): "Fight will go the distance" will set you back nearly 3 times the potential return. There's no value there. The only way to excuse laying so much is to toss this into a multi-leg parlay, perhaps of at least 5 or 6 legs. The better value is to take a look at UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (-105). The past 2 fights against Aliskerov and Chimaev have ended in Round 1 for Whittaker, and he has finished Under 2.5 Rounds in 3 of his past 4 outings. For de Ridder, his past 2 fights have ended prior to the midway point of Round 2, and he has 3 finishes in 3 fights at the UFC level. Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis. For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Daniel Dobish on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ABC 9: Shara Magomedov vs. Marc-Andre Barriault odds, picks and predictions
In a 3-round middleweight bout on the main card, Shara Magomedov and Marc-Andre Barriault meet Saturday at UFC on ABC 9 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The prelims begin at noon ET (ESPN / ESPN+), and the main card at 3 p.m. (ABC / ESPN+). Their fight is expected to start at approximately 4:15 p.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's UFC odds around the UFC on ABC 9: Magomedov vs. Barriault odds, and make our expert UFC picks and predictions. Records: Magomedov (15-1-0) | Barriault (17-9-0) The 31-year-old Magomedov is looking to rebound from a unanimous-decision, February loss to Michael Page, the first loss of his MMA career across 16 bouts since December 2017. He was 4-0 in his first 4 fights at the UFC level, including a pair of KO/TKO wins, and 2 victories by way of unanimous decision. His signature win was against Armen Petrosyan at UFC 308 last October with a KO/TKO in the second round. The Canadian Barriault -- a.k.a. "Powerbar" -- was able to record an opening-round KO/TKO against Bruno Silva at UFC 315 May 10, halting a 3-bout losing skid. Each of his past 3 fights ended via KO/TKO, winning once and losing twice. In his past 9 fights, Barriault has gone the distance just twice. In those decisions, he lost to Chris Curtis at UFC 297 in January 2024, while topping Eryk Anders at UFC 289 in June 2023. Barriault has a 1-inch reach advantage, while holding a slim 6.02-to-5.87 significant-strikes-landed-per-minute advantage, according to Magomedov is much more accurate with those strikes, however, posting a 68.76% mark, while Barriault checks in at 51.00%. Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here. UFC on ABC 9: Magomedov vs. Barriault odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 7:04 p.m. ET. UFC on ABC 9: Magomedov vs. Barriault picks and predictions Fight result (2-way line or moneyline) Magomedov (-650) will cost 6½ times the potential return. That's way too much risk for not enough reward. Even as part of a multi-leg parlay, including Magomedov sucks all of the value from your ticket. If you want to take a side in this potentially lopsided fight, you need to get more specific. Barriault's last 3 fights ended via KO/TKO -- he went 1-2 in those fights. Magomedov has 2 KO/TKO wins in the past 4 outings. Off these trends, I like MAGOMEDOV BY KO/TKO OR DQ (-140) on the 7-way line. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! Over/Under No (-210): "Fight will go the distance" is just a little too expensive for a standalone bet, costing more than 2 times the potential return. Let's take a chance on UNDER 1.5 ROUNDS (+135) at plus-money. Barriault's past 3 fights have each ended in Round 1 via KO/TKO, with him winning against Silva last time out (May) after dropping the previous 2 bouts in the first round. Since we're banking on a short, sweet victory for Magomedov, consider BARRIAULT: UNDER 0.5 TOTAL TAKEDOWNS (-135) ... especially since Magomedov has never had a win or loss via submission. Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis. For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Daniel Dobish on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs De Ridder: Predictions, odds, how to watch
Robert Whittaker returns to the octagon to face Reinier De Ridder in a middleweight clash at UFC Fight Night, held at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Whittaker, known as The Reaper, is stepping into the ring with De Ridder with a record of 27 wins and eight losses. His last fight was a first-round submission loss against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 in October 2024, a performance that has surely fueled his determination for the upcoming bout. De Ridder, with an impressive record of 20 wins and two losses, is currently on a four-fight win streak. His victories over Kevin Holland and Bo Nickal at UFC 311 and UFC Fight Night in May 2025, respectively, showcase his current form and set the stage for an exciting clash with Whittaker. Here is everything to know ahead of UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder. More: Ben Askren health update: Former UFC fighter finally out of hospital UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder predictions Din Thomas writes: "De Ridder has plenty of experience he can tap into. This won't be too big of a moment for him -- fighting a five-round main event against one of the best middleweights in UFC history. De Ridder's forward and annoying pressure, as well as his length, will wear on Whittaker and force him to make mistakes. Once Whittaker does that, de Ridder is an unforgiving fighter who doesn't allow you to recover." Staff writes: "I predict that de Ridder will submit Whittaker in under three rounds, as his grappling and jiu-jitsu skills are far superior. Additionally, I think de Ridder can withstand the striking attacks from Whittaker and do enough not to get into any serious trouble on the feet. De Ridder has shown flashes of improved striking during his last fight against Nickal, as he even scored a stoppage win over him via a vicious knee strike to the body that instantly folded the former three-time NCAA national wrestling champion." Trent Reinsmith writes: "There are a couple of burning questions about this fight to ponder before making a pick. Has a career of facing the best of the best at middleweight caught up with Robert Whittaker leading to a decline in his skills? Is Reinier de Ridder ready to face someone as well-rounded as Robert Whittaker? We won't know the answers to those questions until after Saturday's fight. What we do know is that Whittaker is one of the best middleweight fighters in the history of the UFC and that he is the more well-rounded fighter in this matchup." UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder date UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder will take place in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, July 26. How to watch UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder coverage starts at noon ET on ESPN, ESPN+ and Disney+, with the main card beginning at 3 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN+ and Disney+. UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder fight card and odds Fight card, according to ESPN and odds as of July 24: The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
The National
5 days ago
- Sport
- The National
UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi: Whittaker and De Ridder both make weight
Robert Whittaker weighed in half-a-pound lighter than his opponent Reinier de Ridder during Friday's official weigh-ins ahead of UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi. Former middleweight champion Whittaker (27-8) weighed in at 186lbs, while his opponent tipped the scales at at 186lbs. The pair will headline Saturday's latest installment of the UFC in Abu Dhabi, which takes place at Etihad Arena on Yas Bay. Australian Whittaker, 34, is no stranger to Abu Dhabi having fought three times previously in the capital. His last outing in the UAE ended in a first-round loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 last October. He has previous wins over Jarrod Cannonier and Darren Till, both in 2020. De Ridder (20-2) has emerged as a rising contender in the middleweight division since joining the UFC last July. Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland and Bo Nickal have all been dispatched by the 34-year-old Dutchman over the past 12 month, all inside the distance. Former bantamweight champion Petr Yan of Russia weighed in at 135.5lbs for his co-main event against Marcus McGhee, who hit the 136lbs non-title limit. Weigh-in results: Main card Main event - Middleweight: Robert Whittaker (185.5) vs Reinier de Ridder (186) Co-main event - Bantamweight: Petr Yan (135.5) vs Marcus McGhee (136) Middleweight: Shara Magomedov (186) vs Marc-Andre Barriault (185) Flyweight: Asu Almabayev (126) vs Jose Ochoa (125.5) Prelims Welterweight: Muslim Salikhov (170.5) vs Carlos Leal (170) Bantamweight: Davey Grant (136) vs Da'Mon Blackshear (136)
