Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is slated to return to the octagon.
The UFC officially announced Saturday that Whittaker will face Reinier de Ridder in the headlining bout of the UFC Abu Dhabi event. This Fight Night card is scheduled for July 26th at the Etihad Arena. Initial reports of this potential matchup surfaced via Setanta Sports on Twitter.
Whittaker aims to rebound following his first-round submission defeat against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 in October. Prior to that loss, “The Reaper” kicked off 2024 with a first-round knockout win over Ikram Aliskerov headlining UFC Saudi Arabia in June. Currently ranked No. 7 in MMA Fighting`s global middleweight rankings, he has won three out of his last five fights.
Reinier de Ridder has maintained a highly active schedule since his UFC debut. The former ONE Championship two-division titleholder holds a 3-0 record within the octagon, securing finishes against Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland, and most recently, Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines earlier this month. Ranked No. 13 in the 185-pound division according to MMA Fighting, this fight marks his first UFC main event appearance, riding a four-fight winning streak.
According to the official UFC website, the preliminary portion of the UFC Abu Dhabi event is set to commence at Noon ET, followed by the main card starting at 3 p.m. ET, available on ESPN+.
