De Ridder beats Whittaker in split decision
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The middleweight division is under spotlight, and Reinier de Ridder positioned himself for a big fight after UFC Abu Dhabi.
What does Reinier de Ridder's win over Robert Whittaker mean for the middleweight division? Brett Okamoto provides his takeaways from UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder.
Former 185-pound kingpin Robert Whittaker is the lead man on the marquee at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, where he'll meet Dutch jiu-jitsu ace Reinier de Ridder in a five-rounder that matches the division's fifth- and 13th-ranked contenders.
It was a grueling and competitive fight, but de Ridder felt comfortable in winning three out of the five rounds they competed in. He was confident all three judges would agree with him, however, only two judges did,
Robert Whittaker’s teeth were brutally shattered in his last UFC fight. And with ‘The Reaper’ set to return to the same venue as his crushing defeat to Khamzat Chimaev last time