“Give me my title shot” - De Ridder knows who he wants to fight next after beating Whittaker
Reinier de Ridder saw off Robert Whittaker in Abu Dhabi on Saturday - before urging the UFC to give him a chance at the middleweight title.
In a heart-pounding main event at UFC Abu Dhabi, Reinier de Ridder earned a razor-thin split decision victory over former champion Robert Whittaker (48-47, 47-48, 47-48). The bout was an all-out war, with Whittaker starting strong before De Ridder rallied in the later rounds to extend his UFC win streak to four.
After the fight, the Dutch contender called for a title chance against the winner of the UFC middleweight championship fight between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev.
How did De Ridder vs Whittaker unfold?
Whittaker came out aggressive, pressing forward and landing clean shots early. De Ridder responded with grappling attempts, shooting for a takedown that Whittaker expertly defended. The Australian landed crisp strikes, including a sharp left hook that opened a cut above De Ridder’s eye. Whittaker’s veteran savvy was on full display as he controlled the exchanges and stuffed takedowns.
In Round 2, De Ridder upped his pace, throwing more volume and landing knees that bloodied Whittaker. He managed to drag the fight to the canvas, where he began to impose his grappling. Whittaker stayed composed, closing his
The third round saw De Ridder land two stiff right hands that forced Whittaker to retreat. Whittaker answered with a counter that dropped De Ridder briefly, but both fighters were visibly fatigued. They returned to the center of the Octagon, only to end up back on the ground with De Ridder in top position.
Round 4 was another grind. De Ridder pressed Whittaker against the cage with knees, while Whittaker landed sporadic punches. The Aussie reversed position and took De Ridder’s back momentarily, bringing the fight back to the center. Both fighters were exhausted, trading blows in a battle of wills.
In the final round, Whittaker landed clean rights, but De Ridder kept the pressure on, pinning him against the cage and breathing heavily as the final bell rang.
“Give my my title shot”
“I don’t want to fight anyone like this man again,” De Ridder said of Whittaker post-fight, per ESPN. “He was too tough. I want to finish a guy in the first round, so maybe it would be better if I fought Khamzat or Dricus. Give me my title shot.”
When is Du Plessis vs Chimaev?
Du Plessis, the current UFC middleweight champion, is scheduled to defend his belt against Chimaev on August 16, at UFC 319 in Chicago.
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