On the heels of UFC 318 last week, the MMA world leader returns to network TV on Saturday afternoon for a Fight Night card in Abu Dhabi.
UFC Fight Night: Abu Dhabi will be headlined by a huge matchup at middleweight when division legend Robert Whittaker looks to stay in the title hunt when he takes on former ONE two-division king Reinier de Ridder. The Dutch grappler has won his first four in the Octagon, including a victory over Bo Nickal in May. A win over the former champion could land him a title fight early in 2026.
The card at Etihad Arena will also include the return of former bantamweight champ Petr Yan, and Octagon veterans Bryce Mitchell, Nikita Krylov, and Amanda Ribas.
How to watch UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder
- UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder’s card begins at noon ET on ESPN and ESPN+
- The main card will simulcast on ABC and ESPN+, and kick off at 3 PM ET
- The event will take place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder Fight Card and Betting Odds
Below you can get a complete look at Saturday’s card and the latest betting odds.
Main Card
- Robert Whittaker (-155) vs. Reinier de Ridder (+130)
- Petr Yan (-375) vs. Marcus McGhee (+295)
- Shara Magomedov (-650) vs. Marc Andre Barriault (+475)
- Asu Almabayev (-110) vs. Jose Ochoa (-110)
- Nikita Krylov (-198) vs. Bogdan Guskov (+164)
Preliminary Card
- Bryce Mitchell (-142) vs. Said Nurmagomedov (+120)
- Muslim Salikhov (+400) vs. Carlos Leal (-535)
- Da’Mon Blackshear (-375) vs. Davey Grant (+295)
- Amanda Ribas (-185) vs. Tabatha Ricci (+154)
- Ibo Aslan (-310) vs. Billy Elekana (+250)
- Mohammad Yahya (+310) vs. Steven Nguyen (-395)
- Martin Buday (+210) vs. Marcus Buchecha (-258)
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder Predictions
Here you can find predictions for the entire UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder card, as well as a featured breakdown of the main event.
Preliminary Card
- Martin Buday vs. Marcus Buchecha – Buchecha by submission, Round 1
- Mohammad Yahya vs. Steven Nguyen – Nguyen by unanimous decision
- Ibo Aslan vs. Billy Elekana – Aslan by TKO, Round 2
- Amanda Ribas vs. Tabatha Ricci – Ricci by unanimous decision
- Da’Mon Blackshear vs. Davey Grant – Blackshear by unanimous decision
- Muslim Salikhov vs. Carlos Leal – Salikhov by split-decision
- Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov – Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision
Main Card
- Nikita Krylov vs. Bogdan Guskov – Guskov by TKO, Round 3
- Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa – Almabayev by submission, Round 2
- Shara Magomedov vs. Marc Andre Barriault – Magomedov by TKO, Round 1
- Petr Yan vs. Marcus McGhee – Yan by TKO, Round 2
Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder prediction
Robert Whittaker is one of the greatest UFC middleweights of all time. At 34, he should have a couple of good years ahead of him. However, he is the most beat-up 34-year-old in the sport after 16 years in the game, some violent wars, and a slew of injuries. He has lost two of his last four, with those setbacks being a nasty knockout loss to current champ Dricus Du Plessis and having his jaw broken by No. 1 contender Khamzat Chimaev in October.
This feels like a perfect showcase fight for red-hot former ONE star Renier de Ridder. He has never looked better and seems like a wrecking machine after four straight finishes to start his UFC career. Yet, this is a very tough matchup for him. Unless you have the horsepower of Chimaev, the Aussie is very hard to take down. And getting into a standup fight with him plays to his strengths.
If Whittaker’s chin holds up, he has the cardio and the technique to keep the fight on the feet and wear down his opponent to score a big bounce-back win on Saturday.
Prediction: Whittaker by TKO, Round 3
