Reinier de Ridder won a hard-fought split decision against Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi, marking the biggest victory of his career. The fight took place at Etihad Arena, where de Ridder overcame a knockdown from Whittaker in the third round. Despite this setback, de Ridder secured the win with a total of 169 strikes compared to Whittaker's 100. The judges scored the contest closely, reflecting the competitive nature of the match. Following the bout, de Ridder expressed his desire for a title shot against the winner of the upcoming middleweight championship fight.
I don't want to fight like this [Whittaker], man, this guy was too tough, de Ridder said in a post-fight interview on Saturday. I expected to take him down. He was so tough, so durable. Heavy f****** hands.
De Ridder landed 169 in total, compared with 100 for Whittaker, according to official UFC statistics.
When the final bell sounded, the split decision reflected the closeness of the contest.
I want to finish a guy in the first round, so maybe it would be better if I fought Khamzat [Chimaev] or Dr.
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