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A middleweight clash between former champion Robert Whittaker and emerging contender Reinier de Ridder headlined UFC Abu Dhabi. The Fight Night event took place on July 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Whittaker entered the contest following a brutal loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 last year. Before that setback, he had been on a two-fight winning streak, having defeated Ikram Aliskerov and Paulo Costa.
Meanwhile, de Ridder aimed to make a significant claim for the UFC middleweight title by defeating Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi.
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As the fight began, Whittaker adopted a more aggressive approach, while de Ridder focused on landing takedowns. As the rounds progressed, the Dutchman seemed to find more success and put 'The Reaper' in a tough spot. However, in the third round, Whittaker knocked down de Ridder with a powerful overhand counter.
The Dutchman managed to recover and took a more cautious approach heading into the final two rounds. 'RDR' continued to shoot for takedowns against Whittaker, and in the middle of that, he also landed several knee strikes.
Ultimately, after five rounds, de Ridder triumphed over the former UFC middleweight champion as he was declared the winner by split decision.
With the victory over Whittaker, de Ridder improved his unbeaten UFC record to 4-0. Following the win, he made a bold callout for a middleweight championship fight. Currently, Dricus du Plessis is scheduled to defend the 185-pound title against Khamzat Chimaev on UFC 319 on Aug. 16.
Meanwhile, 'The Reaper' has now suffered consecutive losses for the second time in his UFC career.
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Edited by Nilaav Gogoi
English (US)