The UFC made its latest stop in Abu Dhabi for UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder — and the card delivered everything fans could’ve hoped for. From lightning-fast knockouts to grinding grappling wars, this UAE showcase had chaos, drama, and big stakes from the opening bell to the final horn.
In the main event, Reinier de Ridder and Robert Whittaker went through five exhausting rounds in a brutal back-and-forth battle. De Ridder’s knees did serious damage early, but Whittaker nearly flipped the script with a crushing right hook that sent the Dutchman crashing to the canvas. Both were running on fumes by the championship rounds, but de Ridder’s clinch control in the final minutes earned him a razor-thin split decision — one that keeps him in the conversation for future title shots.
The co-main saw Petr Yan show why he’s still one of the UFC’s cleanest strikers. Marcus McGhee landed some heavy shots — even wobbling Yan early — but Yan’s tight boxing and steady pressure turned the tide, leading to a unanimous decision victory.
Elsewhere on the card, Shara Magomedov and Marc-Andre Barriault put on a bloody slugfest. Barriault’s jab shattered Magomedov’s nose, but Magomedov roared back, dominated late, and took home a clear decision. Asu Almabayev controlled Jose Ochoa with relentless wrestling, and Bogdan Guskov stole the spotlight with a first-round KO over Nikita Krylov.
The prelims didn’t hold back, either. Bryce Mitchell survived a brutal knee from Said Nurmagomedov before grinding out a decision with his grappling. At 41, Muslim Salikhov turned back the clock, flattening Carlos Leal with a single punch just 42 seconds into the fight. Tabatha Ricci overwhelmed Amanda Ribas with elbows for a second-round finish, while Steven Nguyen dominated Mohammad Yahya until an eye injury forced a stoppage.
Other moments included Davey Grant rallying to beat Da’Mon Blackshear, Billy Elekana edging Ibo Aslan in a tight scrap, and Martin Buday halting Marcus Buchecha’s UFC debut with a grinding decision win.
UFC Abu Dhabi once again proved why these UAE events have become must-see MMA. Reinier de Ridder’s split-decision win over Whittaker might not have been the prettiest, but it capped off a card full of violent finishes, all-out wars, and memorable moments that will be replayed for months to come.
