Reinier de Ridder Gets UFC Abu Dhabi Main Event Against Former Champion After Bo Nickal ‘Fraud Check’

Former champion Robert Whittaker returns for UFC Abu Dhabi headliner vs. Reinier de Ridder, for July 26 at Etihad Arena.

Reinier de Ridder Gets UFC Abu Dhabi Main Event Against Former Champion After Bo Nickal ‘Fraud Check’

Robert Whittaker faces Reinier de Ridder in UFC Abu Dhabi headliner bout (Source: X)

If “ask and ye shall receive” were a person, it would be current UFC 185-pound sensation Reinier de Ridder. The Dutchman asked for tough competition and ran through them over the course of his first three tenure appearances. Now, he wants more, and de Ridder got it in the form of former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker for a UFC Abu Dhabi headliner.

Reinier de Ridder caused an upset over wrestler Bo Nickal, with a Round 2 step-in knee TKO. After UFC on ESPN 67 in Des Moines, the fighter wished for a striking clinic next, preferably against shelled-up boxer Sean Strickland. ‘Tarzan’ is off a failed title bid as recent as UFC 312 PPV headliner, and would make a good case to step up the ladder.

The Team Combat Brothers southpaw fighter also kept the amp-line going, breaking down divisional king Dricus Du Plessis’ weird fight style. However, he now gets Robert Whittaker for UFC’s return to Abu Dhabi on July 26th. The promotion announced the matters on its socials, Saturday, right before UFC 315.

This marks Robert Whittaker’s first 2025 ballot assignment. The Australian star is fresh off a first-round submission loss (face crank) to Khamzat Chimaev in October. ‘The Reaper’ underwent surgery on his digits that kept him out of an active camp.

There were initial talks about Whittaker matching up to Strickland. But before his UFC 312 title challenge, ‘Tarzan’ dumbed it down, given that Whittaker already lost to DDP, and that’s where the prize was at. He also said to have turned down a Roman Dolidze fight as well. Now, he’d like to get back to his momentum from an UD over Paulo Costa and a KO stoppage of Ikram Aliskerov.

Last man Robert Whittaker knocked out gives his take

The UFC hosted two Abu Dhabi cards in 2024, with UFC on ABC 7 in August and UFC 308 PPV in October. One UFC Fight Night event is scheduled for July 26 at Etihad Arena. Before that, Whittaker welcomed Ikram Aliskerov into his first headliner at the UFC on ABC 6 main event, Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Robert Whittaker last opponent talks about KO loss
Robert Whittaker last opponent talks about KO loss (Source: X)

Robert Whittaker had ended his parry with punches, 1:49 of Round 1, during the event headliner. But Aliskerov reserved no less credit for his effort as he was a short-notice name that got in after Khamzat Chimaev could not. Considering he was days away from his weigh-in when the promotion asked him to push it back a week, the pieces were stacked against him.

This fight was a terrible time, …I don’t remember about this, because I come from Dagestan… here three weeks before the fight. I had to go to Vegas one week, almost two weeks, and cut weight. They called me and I needed to go to Saudi Arabia. I come to Saudi Arabia and one more time, I cut weight…[Had] no sleep ..[was] jet-lagged. I don’t remember about this. But now, I need to come back and I want to come back. … I need a big win now.

Ikram Aliskerov to MMAJunkie

The Dagestani star last fought on April 26 at UFC on ESPN 66 vs. Andre Muniz. He knocked his opponent out to return to the win column. If the pieces fall into places, Aliskerov could fight his way into rematching Whittaker to avenge the KO loss. Meanwhile, Robert Whittaker is tabbed in for another monstrous UFC Abu Dhabi headliner vs. Reinier de Ridder.

RDR is undefeated in the UFC and has stopped every opponent he’s faced so far. Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland, and Nickal were all stopped in empathetic fashion. de Ridder earned his first $50,000 POTN bonus with the stoppage of Nickal. Now, a Whittaker vs. RDR matchup could prove a barnburner for ages.

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