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,

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

The latest UFC Fight Night event was held in Abu Dhabi and was headlined by a middleweight clash between Robert Whittaker and Reinier De Ridder.

Reinier de Ridder had a quick comeback when hearing of Paulo Costa's negative review of his UFC Abu Dhabi win.

UFC middleweight Reinier de Ridder solidified himself as a legitimate title contender in defeating Robert Whittaker by split decision at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

A middleweight clash with title implications headlines UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi. Former UFC champion Robert Whittaker and former two-division ONE Championship king Reinier de Ridder fight weeks before a 185-pound title fight at UFC 319.

The decision was a split set of 48-47 scorecards. The event took place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The bout was exciting and competitive throughout. De Ridder's jab and step-knee were successful throughout the bout.

UFC on ABC 9 took place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday afternoon, with former champion Robert Whittaker facing Reiner de Ridder in the main event.