Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming UFC Abu Dhabi mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which is set to go down tomorrow night (Sat., July 26, 2025) on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN+ from inside Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, UAE, featuring a middleweight main event between former 185-pound champion Robert Whittaker and fast-rising division contender Reinier de Ridder, a five-round headliner with major title implications for late 2025 and beyond.
Before we preview and predict the main and co-main event contests, which includes the three-round scrap between former 135-pound titleholder Petr Yan and once-beaten bantamweight “Maniac” Marcus McGhee, get all the latest “Whittaker vs. De Ridder” odds and betting props courtesy of Fan Duel right here. For preview and predictions of the featured contests between Shara Magomedov vs. Marc-Andre Barriault and Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov click here and here.
Reminder: Movsar Evloev vs. Aaron Pico was recently pulled from the main card due to an undisclosed injury to Evloev.
185 lbs.: Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder
Robert “The Reaper” Whittaker
Record: 26-8 | Age: 34 | Betting line: -150
Wins: 10 KO/TKO, 5 SUB, 11 DEC | Losses: 3 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 3 DEC
Height: 6’0“ | Reach: 73” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.54 | Striking accuracy: 43%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.41 | Striking Defense: 59%
Takedown Average: 0.80 (38% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 81%
Current Ranking: No. 5 | Last fight: Submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev
Reinier “The Dutch Knight” De Ridder
Record: 20-2 | Age: 34 | Betting line: +125
Wins: 5 KO/TKO, 13 SUB, 2 DEC | Losses: 2 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 0 DEC
Height: 6’4“ | Reach: 78” | Stance: Southpaw
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.25 | Striking accuracy: 60%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 2.21 | Striking Defense: 44%
Takedown Average: 4.74 (38% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 66%
Current Ranking: No. 12 | Last fight: Technical knockout win over Bo Nickal
Robert Whittaker returns to action after a one-sided drubbing opposite Khamzat Chimaev back in late 2024, which not only cost “The Reaper” a spot in the 185-pound title chase, but also a few of his bottom teeth — summarily yanked after getting cranked by “Borz.” That performance was the latest in a series of high-profile losses that also include defeats to Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya, suggesting that Whittaker is unable to hang with the elite middleweights of this era.
It’s also worth pointing out that his last eight victories, dating back to his Yoel Romero fights at UFC 213 and UFC 225, returned decisions in seven of those eight wins. His lone finish came over the overmatched (and unranked) Ikram Aliskerov on short notice. I’m not trying to be overly-critical of Whittaker’s performances, he’s still a dangerous boxer with championship cardio and a solid chin, we just have to keep in mind that it’s been almost six years since the Aussie held the middleweight title.
“He hasn’t fought anyone like me,” Whittaker told MMA Junkie. “Landing my mitts and my getting my hands on him, that’s the plan. I’m fast. My striking I think is better than his. So I’ve got to find the holes, the opening and close them up. He’s going to try to take me down straight away I envision. He’s got good striking, good standup, but he understands where my strengths are, he understands where his strengths may lie and I think he’ll want to go to the ground to utilize that. He’s very good at taking the fight where you’re uncomfortable. He’s got a particular set of skills and a particular game plan that, if he executes well, he gives you a lot of problems.”
Reinier de Ridder had some buzz coming into UFC back in late 2024 based primarily on his exploits for ONE Championship and quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with, disposing of well-traveled veterans Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland before making a complete mockery of 185-pound prospect Bo Nickal. Now the “Dutch Knight” gets a major step up in competition against a former champion with a potential title shot on the line, depending on what happens in the UFC 319 main event between reigning champion Dricus Du Plessis and undefeated challenger Khamzat Chimaev.
De Ridder is unquestionably an elite grappler (see his matches against Andre Galvao and Tye Ruotolo) but we can’t get too carried away about his success in UFC. All three of his wins have come against opponents who are unranked and if you’re into stats, consider that Meerschaert and Holland have combined for 33 losses in their respective MMA careers. In addition, Nickal went into his De Ridder fight with just seven pro bouts to his name. Is that the kind of resume that has me feeling confident for the upset? Not particularly; so the question then becomes, how much weight do we put into his wins for ONE Championship? Aung La N Sang and Vitaly Bigdash are both 40 years old and I never heard of Fan Rong, affectionately known as the “King Kong Warrior.”
“I know I gotta step on the gas,” De Ridder recently told Submission Radio. Because what he likes is when you give him some space, when he can see what you’re doing, when he can read you, that’s what he likes best. And then he does his best work, most likely gonna throw the 1-2 high kick once he sees what you’re doing. So I think it’s very important for me to step on the gas from the get-go here. We haven’t really seen a lot of his grappling, his jiu-jitsu is not something we’ve seen a lot in his matches. Decent takedown defense. I see myself putting a lot of pressure on him, hitting him with some good shots early. Maybe another knee, maybe some other cool strikes, taking him down and choking him out.”
Whittaker has never really demonstrated his ground game because the most dangerous submission specialist he ever faced, Ronaldo Souza, fell in love with his hands and opted to spend the majority of their fight cosplaying as Jacare Mayweather. You can argue that his quick tap against Chimaev was a result of his collapsible teeth but to be honest, the ease in which “Borz” got Whittaker into that perilous position is concerning heading into what will be the exact same gameplan. I think a case can be made for both combatants winning the UFC Abu Dhabi main event. If De Ridder can’t get “The Reaper” to the floor or bully him against the cage, he’s going to spend 25 minutes getting boxed up and shipped out to his native Netherlands. I just find it hard to believe Whittaker, who appears to have sputtered and stalled on his way back to the top of the 185-pound weight class, won’t find himself grounded at some point across their five-round affair.
Prediction: De Ridder def. Whittaker by submission
135 lbs.: Petr Yan vs. Marcus McGhee
Petr “No Mercy” Yan
Record: 18-5 | Age: 32 | Betting line: -375
Wins: 7 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 10 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 5 DEC, 1 DQ
Height: 5’7“ | Reach: 67” | Stance: Switch
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 5.11 | Striking accuracy: 54%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 4.13 | Striking Defense: 58%
Takedown Average: 1.61 (49% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 84%
Current Ranking: No. 3 | Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Deiveson Figueiredo
Marcus “Maniac” McGhee
Record: 10-1 | Age: 35 | Betting line: +295
Wins: 8 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 1 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 0 DEC
Height: 5’8“ | Reach: 69” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 6.06 | Striking accuracy: 48%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 2.83 | Striking Defense: 64%
Takedown Average: 0.46 (33% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 100%
Current Ranking: No. 13 | Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Jonathan Martinez
Petr Yan is a former bantamweight champion and some newer fans may find it hard to believe but it was only five years ago that “No Mercy” was ranked as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. At the same time, “Suga” Sean O’Malley was tossed from the bantamweight chart and Merab Dvalishvili wasn’t even ranked in the Top 10 at 135 pounds. Then came Yan’s disqualification loss to Aljamain Sterling and it feels like his career never recovered. The 32 year-old Russian is just 3-3 since Funk-Gate but on the plus side, he’s coming off back-to-back wins over Yadong Song and Deiveson Figueiredo.
Equally concerning is the fact that Yan had four knockout wins before Sterling and has since gone to the judges’ scorecards in six straight fights. Maybe it’s because Yan was fighting shopworn veterans like Urijah Faber and Jose Aldo, or perhaps he lost some of his killer instinct, a byproduct of not being motivated to fight. That would be unfortunate because “No Mercy” is the total package with great striking, strong wrestling, and championship cardio. No question Yan needs to start putting guys away if he wants to sell matchmakers on a Dvalishvili rematch, considering how badly he was dominated in their first go-round.
“I believe after the win I should be the one fighting for the belt,” Yan told Uncrowned. “I already beat (Cory) Sandhagen before. For example, if he wins the fight with Merab [at UFC 320], there’s a rematch for him. And then if it’s Merab who’s holding the belt, then I believe this fight will be different, because last time I fought him I was just 50 percent. I was injured, my hand was injured and I couldn’t even punch.”
“Losses are hard to take, but sometimes they also teach you stuff,” Yan continued. “They give you opportunity to work on your mistakes, to improve, to become better. And I believe I’m a better version of myself right now. And with the winner, I believe I deserve to fight for the belt. I’m mentally and technically at my peak right now. I’m just going to create some bumps and fireworks.”
Marcus McGhee has been a nice surprise in the bantamweight division and a breath of fresh air, considering how long we’ve been talking about the same old names like Cody Garbrandt and Marlon Vera, among others. McGhee got called up after scoring back-to-back knockout wins on the regional circuit and to date, has made the most of his opportunity. “Maniac” is 4-0 under the UFC banner with three of those wins ending by way of knockout or submission — good enough for three straight “Performance of the Night” bonuses. The only warranted criticism comes against his strength of schedule, as Journey Newsom and JP Buys have since been cut for being terrible and Gaston Bolanos isn’t exactly tearing through the 135-pound division.
“I know we’re going to stand and trade, but I definitely think that we’re going to hit the ground for sure, too,” McGhee said at the UFC Abu Dhabi media day. “I don’t hit the ground as much, but I have grappling skills as well. I definitely see us hitting the ground at some point. The up and down is going to be there, it’s going to be a full mixed martial arts fight.”
“I guess they didn’t find an opponent much higher up the ranks and I got the opportunity, which I’m glad for, and to feature in the co-main fight in the card,” McGhee continued. “In this game, anything can happen at any given time. This is one of those unforgiving sports, so I’m always just focused and grateful on the task at hand.”
This feels like one of those fights that is headed for an upset; which could all depend on Yan’s motivation. Assuming he’s not taking McGhee lightly, he should prove to be the superior fighter. There just isn’t enough experience on “The Maniac’s” side to pick him against a former champion who already went toe-to-toe with the likes of Sean O’Malley, Merab Dvalishvili, and Cory Sandhagen, among others. If the 35 year-old McGhee is going to win, it will probably come by way of first-round blitzkrieg. Otherwise, expect Yan to shake off a slow start and take over in the second and third rounds.
Prediction: Yan def. McGhee by decision
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Abu Dhabi fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ preliminary card matchups, which are scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance on ABC/ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Abu Dhabi news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archives here, here, and here. For the updated and finalized “Whittaker vs. De Ridder” fight card and ABC/ESPN+ lineup click here.
