Reinier de Ridder Wins Close One Against Robert Whittaker

Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder closed out the show at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday, the latest Fight Night card to air on broadcast network ABC.

Whittaker was hoping the bounce back to a devastating loss against Khamzat Chimaev, while de Ridder was 3-0 through three UFC assignments to date. Last time out, RDR became the first to defeat Bo Nickal.

Early in Saturday’s headliner, de Ridder caught a kick, looking to take Whittaker down. Whittaker fought that off, showing solid balance, eventually pulling free. He went back on the hunt, de Ridder circling outside. “The Reaper” lunged in, but didn’t land. Reinier shot in from outside, and didn’t land the takedown. From the outside, however, Whittaker was having success, landing more than once. He easily stuffed the next takedown from RDR; de Ridder did close and grab onto Whittaker a moment later, taking the fight to the cage. He couldn’t keep it there, let alone land a takedown, however.

A couple of step in knees late in the round represented de Ridder’s best moments of the round, but the first five minutes belonged to Whittaker.

Round two saw an early takedown by de Ridder easily evaded by the former champ. Whittaker then connected. RDR fell back on his knee, his best attack, but his striking looked in slow motion in comparison to Whittaker. That knee did connect near the midway mark, followed by a couple of jabs. Then another knee. This time, RDR converted a takedown, getting on top and sliding through to half guard. Reinier landed shots to the body and head, and nearly moved to side control. Whittaker was bloodied, and de Ridder finished the frame on top.

A knee and a left hand hurt Whittaker early in round three, but he responded by knocking RDR down! Reinier managed to survive after Whittaker got on top, the former ONE double champ getting to his feet. He pressed Whittaker into the fence; a bloodied Whittaker looked to have slowed a step. Not slowed enough, however, that he couldn’t avoid a de Ridder takedown. Whittaker fired a combo, blocked, and de Ridder answered back. On RDR’s next attack, he was clipped on the way in, but he landed a takedown, getting on top with Whittaker damaged and fading just a little. Reinier looked to set up a choke, and wound up moving into half-guard.

For the second round in a row, de Ridder finished the round on top, dropping elbows this time. He then opened the fourth with another big knee, connecting with his hands after that. The game plan was still to take Whittaker down; when he did, however, Whittaker was able to reverse and nearly get in control. Instead, RDR scrambled to his feet. There, however, Whittaker still had an edge. At least when de Ridder’s knee wasn’t landing, which it did, followed by a right hand, in the final minute.

With the fight close, Robert Whittaker’s takedown defense was tested again in the fifth. By the midway mark of the round, he’d managed to both stay standing, and peel free of de Ridder. RDR, however, put him right back on the cage. Winning minutes with control time, perhaps, but not doing much damage, landing just some light shots to the body. Again, Whittaker get off the fence, 90 seconds or so  to work. A knee landed, partially anyway, for de Ridder. He moved in, firing another one. Down to a minute, and the fight still potentially up on the air. Whittaker broke free, and de Ridder shot in a couple times, half-heartedly, from the outside. With Whittaker pressing, de Ridder clinched, and finished the fight in control.

A close fight to the end, and the scorecards reflected that. Still, Reinier de Ridder was given the nod by two judges, improving to 4-0.

Official Result: Reinier de Ridder def. Robert Whittaker by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)