De Ridder defeats Whittaker by split decision in Abu Dhabi

Reinier de Ridder took home a split-decision victory Saturday over Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC Fight Night at Abu Dhabi.

De Ridder (21-2-0 MMA) earned a 48-47 margin from two judges, Ben Cartlidge and David Lethaby, while Mike Bell was the lone judge to give the edge to Whittaker (27-9-0 MMA) at 48-47.

Whittaker landed a big knockdown with a strike in the third round of the middleweight match, but de Ridder recovered and dominated the stat sheet. De Ridder landed 192 total strikes, while Whittaker connected on only 70. Additionally, de Ridder recorded two takedowns.

“I expected to take him down and choke him out,” de Ridder said. “He was amazing. So tough, so durable, heavy f--ing hands.”

The 34-year-old continues to rise up the ranks in the middleweight division, picking up his fourth straight UFC win and fifth MMA victory in a row.

Elsewhere on the main card, Bogdan Guskov (18-3-0 MMA) knocked out Nikita Krylov (30-11-0 MMA) 4:18 into the first round of their light heavyweight matchup. It is the fourth consecutive win by either knockout or submission for the Uzbekistani.

Petr Yan (19-5-0 MMA) defeated Marcus McGhee (10-2-0 MMA) by unanimous decision in a bantamweight clash. Yan outpaced his opponent in total strikes, significant strikes, control and takedowns.

In the middleweight match, Shara Magomedov (16-1-0 MMA) bounced back from his first professional loss, which came against Michael Page (23-3-0 MMA) in February, to win over Marc-Andre Barriault (17-10-0 MMA) by unanimous decision. Magomedov earned a 30-27 score from all three judges.

Flyweight competitor Asu Almabayev (22-3-0 MMA) also won by unanimous decision, defeating 24-year-old Peruvian Jose Ochoa (8-2-0 MMA). Ochoa battled, landing 118 total strikes, but Almabayev controlled the fight with seven takedowns.

In the prelims, Muslim Salikhov (22-5-0 MMA) landed the highlight of the night, knocking out opponent Carlos Leal (22-7-0 MMA) in only 42 seconds in their welterweight fight.

Earlier, Whittaker ha dlost his fight against Chimaev in October.

Chimaev needed just one takedown to dominate Whittaker with relentless grappling, ultimately securing the position for a submission. Locking his arms around Whittaker’s jaw, Chimaev tightened his grip, prompting an almost immediate tap-out.

The bout concluded at 3:34 of the first round, moving Chimaev’s undefeated record to 14-0 overall and 8-0 in the UFC.

Following the fight, Whittaker disclosed that he had likely suffered a dislocated jaw due to the submission. With this victory, ‘Borz’ strengthens his position as a top contender in the middleweight division.

After the victory, Chimaev directly called for a title shot, stating, “I’m coming for the belt.” Reflecting on his fight, he said, “When I took him down, I controlled him in that position and got the choke in. I submitted him so quickly.”

Chimaev also praised Abu Dhabi, calling it the best city in the world: “Abu Dhabi safe and an amazing place. There are a lot of different things happening here for the future, for kids, and for life. I’ve been here many times, and now I live here. It’s the best place.”

Speaking about the fans, he added, “They were amazing, supporting me a lot. From day one I fought here, I felt their support, and I still feel it.”

Meanwhiel, in the main card fights, Sharaputdin Magomedov maintained his unbeaten record with a TKO win over Armen Petrosyan, delivering a double backfist finish at 4:52 of Round 2.

In another bout, Magomed Ankalaev put on a striking masterclass to secure a unanimous decision victory against Aleksandar Rakić. Additionally, Lerone Murphy extended his impressive undefeated streak with a win over Dan Ige. With UFC 308 living up to its billing, Abu Dhabi Showdown Week came to a stunning close, delivering plenty of thrilling moments for the fans who flew into the UAE capital from all over the world, as well as for residents.