Reinier de Ridder has officially entered the world of the middleweight elite after a grueling battle against Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi.

Both Robert Whittaker and Reinier De Ridder knew that a win over the other would put them in solid stead for a world title shot. ‘RDR’ won his first three octagon outings after leaving ONE Championship, and was clearly on the rise, while the Australian just wanted one more run at gold.

Reinier de Ridder edged out Robert Whittaker by split decision in UFC Abu Dhabi main event, but voiced frustration over a judge’s scorecard.

On Saturday at UFC Abu Dhabi, de Ridder shares a card with another former ONE fighter when Marcus Buchecha makes his octagon debut after he endured a similarly frustrating run there. While he certainly doesn't wish anybody ill will,

On Episode 3,585, the guys welcome in UFC middleweight Reinier de Ridder, who takes on former champ Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 9. The fellas also recap UFC 318, which went down in New Orleans, featuring Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway for the BMF title. Tune in!

In his toughest test in the UFC to date, Reinier de Ridder hopes to make a statement against Robert Whittaker when they face off in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi. It’s well known that ‘The Dutch Knight’ is an incredibly dangerous submission specialist once the fight hits the floor.