ABU DHABI, 13th May, 2025 (WAM) -- UFC, the world's premier mixed martial arts organisation, in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), returns to the UAE capital with an epic middleweight fight as No.5 ranked Robert Whittaker takes on rising star Reinier de Ridder on Saturday, 26 July, at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

Former champion Whittaker (27-8-0, fighting out of New South Wales, Australia) is one of the UFC's most respected middleweights, who rose to prominence with standout victories over Yoel Romero, Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori. Whittaker looks to return to the win column with a dominant performance against the Dutchman.

De Ridder (20-2-0, fighting out of Breda, Netherlands) has swiftly established himself as one of UFC's most promising middleweight contenders. Since joining the promotion in late 2024, he has showcased his elite grappling and finishing abilities. Most recently, de Ridder delivered a statement win by handing Bo Nickal his first professional loss. De Ridder is rapidly ascending the middleweight ranks and aims to continue his win streak with a win over the former champion.

Additional bouts on the card include:
-Nikita Krylov (30-10-0, fighting out of Kislovodsk, Russia) faces Bogdan Guskov (17-3-0 fighting out of Dukent, Uzbekistan), who is looking to continue his win streak, in a light heavyweight match-up.
-Ramazan Temirov (19-3-0, fighting out of Karshi, Uzbekistan) takes on Asu Almabayev (21-3-0, fighting out of Almaty, Kazakhstan) in what promises to be a thrilling flyweight bout.
-Ibo Aslan (14-2-0, fighting out of Istanbul, Turkey) will meet American Billy Elekana (7-2-0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada) in a light heavyweight bout that should produce fireworks.