Face off! Reinier de Ridder towers over Robert Whittaker ahead of UFC Abu Dhabi main event (Video)

Jesse Holland is among the longest-tenured media professionals in the combat sports news space, covering MMA, professional wrestling and boxing on a full-time basis since early 2004.

Former UFC middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker, will defend his spot in the division Top 5 when he collides with red-hot submission specialist, Reinier de Ridder, atop the upcoming UFC Abu Dhabi MMA event on both ESPN and ABC, locked and loaded for tomorrow (Sat., July 26, 2025) at Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Both combatants came face-to-face this morning at the conclusion of the UFC Abu Dhabi ceremonial weigh ins (watch the replay here). The 6’4” “Dutch Knight” sports a considerable size advantage — including five inches in reach — over the seasoned “Reaper,” who competed in the welterweight division earlier in his combat sports career.

Here's the co-main event staredown between Petr Yan and Marcus McGhee:

Nothing left to do now except fight.

LIVE! Stream UFC Abu Dhabi On ESPN+

MIDDLEWEIGHT MAYHEM! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” this Sat. night (July 26, 2025) with UFC Abu Dhabi. That’s where former middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker, collides with red-hot submission specialist, Reinier de Ridder, in a fast-paced main event mashup scheduled for five, five-minute rounds. In UFC Abu Dhabi’s co-main event, former 135-pound titleholder, Petr Yan, locks horns with once-beaten bantamweight bruiser, Marcus McGhee, with a spot in the division title chase up for grabs.

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MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Abu Dhabi fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ preliminary card matchups, which are scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance on ABC/ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Abu Dhabi news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archives here, here, and here. For the updated and finalized “Whittaker vs. De Ridder” fight card and ABC/ESPN+ lineup click here.