De Ridder Survived Whittaker’s Knockdown to Edge
Reinier de Ridder defeated Robert Whittaker by split decision on July 26, 2025, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Two judges scored the middleweight main event 48–47 for de Ridder, while the third favored Whittaker by the same margin.
Whittaker’s distance work met knees and wrestling
Whittaker defended the early takedown attempts and found success striking from outside. De Ridder’s knees became an important answer, allowing him to connect before bringing the action toward the clinch.
The second round gave de Ridder more substantial grappling success. He completed a takedown, worked from top position and landed to the body and head as Whittaker defended underneath.
A third-round knockdown did not end the challenge
Whittaker knocked de Ridder down in the third, creating the most dramatic reversal of the contest. De Ridder recovered and later returned to top position, keeping the round physically demanding despite the knockdown.
The final two rounds continued testing Whittaker’s takedown defense and de Ridder’s ability to land knees in close. Neither fighter secured a finish, leaving several competitive exchanges for the judges to assess.
The fourth round separated the official cards
All three judges agreed that Whittaker won the first and third, while de Ridder took the second and fifth. Their disagreement over the fourth round determined the split result.
De Ridder improved to four UFC victories from four appearances, following his earlier win over Bo Nickal. Against a former middleweight champion, the narrow decision rewarded sustained pressure and recovery after a dangerous mid-fight setback.
Sources
- Cageside Press: knees, knockdown and grappling exchanges
- MMA Decisions: round-by-round official scoring
- UFC: date, venue and split verdict
