Former champion Robert Whittaker faces Reinier de Ridder atop UFC Fight Night, live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, July 26. The pair square off in a five-rounder at middleweight.
Whittaker (26-8) of Australia by way of New Zealand lost his previous bout last November by submission in the first round against Khamzat Chimaev. De Ridder (20-2) of the Netherlands aims for his fifth straight victory, having defeated Bo Nickal via second-round TKO in May.
The co-main event is a bantamweight bout between Petr Yan (18-5) and Marcus McGhee (10-1) of Detroit, MI. Yan won two fights last year by unanimous decision against Deiveson Figueiredo and Song Yadong. McGhee earned his sixth straight victory last November, scoring a UD over Jonathan Martinez.
Also on the card is another contest at middleweight pitting Shara Magomedov (15-1) against Marc-Andre Barriault (17-9) of Canada. Plus, Asu Almabayev (21-3) of Kazakhstan and Ramazan Temirov (19-3) of Uzbekistan battle it out at flyweight.
UFC Abu Dhabi results
Get UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs de Ridder full fight card results below.
Main card
- Reinier de Ridder def. Robert Whittaker by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)
- Petr Yan def. Marcus McGhee by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Sharabutdin Magomedov def. Marc-Andre Barriault by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Asu Almabayev def. Jose Ochoa by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Bogdan Guskov def. Nikita Krylov by TKO (R1, 4:18)
Prelims
- Bryce Mitchell def. Said Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Muslim Salikhov def. Carlos Leal Miranda by TKO (R1, 0:42)
- Davey Grant def. Da’Mon Blackshear by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Tabatha Ricci def. Amanda Ribas by TKO (R2, 2:59)
- Billy Elekana def. Ibo Aslan by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Steven Nguyen def. Mohammad Yahya by TKO (doctor stoppage, R2, 5:00)
- Martin Buday def. Marcus Almeida by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
UFC Abu Dhabi live blog
Video: UFC Abu Dhabi post-fight press conference
The UFC Abu Dhabi post-fight press conference wraps up the event.
Reinier de Ridder defeats Robert Whittaker by decision
The main event goes the distance, with Reinier de Ridder defeating Robert Whittaker by split decision. After five rounds at middleweight, the scores were 47-48, 48-47, and 48-47.
UFC 319 co-main event
The new co-main event for UFC 319 has been announced, featuring Lerone Murphy up against Aaron Pico at featherweight. The fight card takes place at the United Center in Chicago on August 16.
Petr Yan defeats Marcus McGhee by decision
In the co-main event, Petr Yan defeats Marcus McGhee by unanimous decision at bantamweight. All three judges scored it 29-28.
Sharabutdin Magomedov defeats Marc-Andre Barriault by decision
Sharabutdin Magomedov defeats Marc-Andre Barriault by unanimous decision at middleweight. After three rounds, all three judges scored it 30-27.
Asu Almabayev defeats Jose Ochoa by decision
Asu Almabayev defeats Jose Ochoa by unanimous decision at flyweight. The scores were 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28.
Bogdan Guskov TKO's Nikita Krylov in first round
In the main card opener, Bogdan Guskov defeats Nikita Krylov via first-round TKO at light heavyweight. The time of the stoppage was 4:18 into the round.
Bryce Mitchell defeats Said Nurmagomedov by decision
Wrapping up the prelims, Bryce Mitchell defeats Said Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision at bantamweight. All three judges scored it 29-28.
Muslim Salikhov TKO's Carlos Leal Miranda in first round
Muslim Salikhov defeats Carlos Leal Miranda via first-round TKO at welterweight. The time was 42 seconds into the round.
Davey Grant defeats Da'Mon Blackshear by decision
Davey Grant defeats Da’Mon Blackshear by unanimous decision at bantamweight. All three scored were 29-28.
Tabatha Ricci TKO's Amanda Ribas in second round
Tabatha Ricci defeats Amanda Ribas via second-round TKO at strawweight. The time of the stoppage was 2:59 into the round.
Billy Elekana defeats Ibo Aslan by decision
Billy Elekana defeats Ibo Aslan by unanimous decision at light heavyweight. The judges scored it 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28.
Steven Nguyen defeats Mohammad Yahya by TKO
Steven Nguyen defeated Mohammad Yahya via second-round TKO following six knockdowns. The featherweight bout was stopped by the doctor due to significant swelling under Yahya’s left eye.
Martin Buday defeats Marcus Almeida by decision
Kicking off the action, Martin Buday defeats Marcus Almeida by unanimous decision at heavyweight. All three judges scored the fight 29-28.
UFC Abu Dhabi: How to watch and start time
UFC Abu Dhabi airs live on ESPN+. The start time is 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT for the main card, with the prelims starting at 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT.