Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is scheduled to return to action.
The UFC officially announced on Saturday that Whittaker will face Reinier de Ridder in the main event of the upcoming UFC Abu Dhabi card. This Fight Night event is slated for July 26 and will take place at the Etihad Arena. Reports about the potential matchup were initially surfaced by Setanta Sports.
Whittaker is looking to bounce back following a first-round submission defeat to Khamzat Chimaev in the co-main event of UFC 308 held last October. “The Reaper” had a strong start to 2024, securing a first-round knockout victory over Ikram Aliskerov in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia in June. Ranked No. 7 in the global middleweight standings, Whittaker has earned victories in three of his last five outings.
Reinier de Ridder has maintained a busy schedule since joining the UFC roster. The former two-division champion in ONE Championship holds an unblemished 3-0 record inside the octagon. His wins include victories over Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland, and most recently, Bo Nickal earlier this month at UFC Des Moines. The fighter, ranked No. 13 in the 185-pound division, enters his first UFC headliner on a four-fight winning streak overall.
Event timing details provided by the UFC website indicate that the preliminary portion of UFC Abu Dhabi is currently scheduled to begin at Noon ET, with the main card following at 3 p.m. ET, exclusively on ESPN+.
