The bout between Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder is set as the main event for UFC Fight Night on July 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The pair battle it out at middleweight.
Whittaker (26-8) of Australia by way of New Zealand lost his previous bout by submission in the first round against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC Abu Dhabi last October. Before that, the 34-year-old former middleweight champion knocked out Ikram Aliskerov in the first round and scored a unanimous decision against Paulo Costa.
De Ridder (20-2) of the Netherlands aims for his fifth win in a row. The 34-year-old is fresh off a win via second-round TKO against Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines in May. Prior to that, he submitted Kevin Holland and Gerald Meerschaert in the first and third round, respectively, and stopped Magomedmurad Khasaev in the first round of his final bout prior to joining the UFC.
The promotion announced Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder as the UFC Abu Dhabi main event on Saturday. Other matchups are expected to be confirmed shortly.