UFC Fight Night Whittaker vs De Ridder results
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Reinier de Ridder had a quick comeback when hearing of Paulo Costa's negative review of his UFC Abu Dhabi win.
Reinier de Ridder has officially entered the world of the middleweight elite after a grueling battle against Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Paulo Costa was quick to react to De Ridder’s UFC Abu Dhabi win over Whittaker. The charismatic Brazilian is not one to mince his words, and that was on display again as Costa claimed he would knock out De Ridder three times per round.
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De Ridder earned a crack at Whittaker after he knocked out highly-touted wrestler Bo Nickal with a knee to the body at UFC Des Moines in May. This was Nickal’s first UFC loss, with many fans claiming he had been ‘fraud checked’.
The decision was a split set of 48-47 scorecards. The event took place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The bout was exciting and competitive throughout. De Ridder's jab and step-knee were successful throughout the bout.