Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder is one of the largest middleweight battles of the year.
Former UFC champion Robert Whittaker meets a two-division champion Reinier de Ridder on Saturday in the headliner of UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
This marks the first main event of De Ridder in the UFC. The Netherlands' De Ridder (20-2) signed last year with the Premier Promotion and went 3-0 against Bo Nickal, Kevin Holland and Gerald Meerschaert.
De Ridder is confronted with a huge step in front in the competition against the #5-ranged Whittaker, who has only lost from the current champion Drus Du Plessis, Israel Adesanya and the unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev.
When it is all said and done, Whittaker will go down as one of the greatest middle weights of all time, with victories over Yoel Romero, Jared Cannonier, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori and Darren Till – all former title challenge.
One of the former enemies of Whittaker has given his thoughts for how Whittaker vs. The knight goes down.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Jared Cannonier predicts Robert Whittaker to beat Reinier de Ridder at UFC Abu Dhabi
One-time UFC title Challenger Jared Cannonier Fought Whittaker in a types of title eliminator at UFC 254 in 2020.
Whittaker almost ended the top candidate, but Cannonier survived to see the distance, even with a broken arm.
When asked for his prediction about the main event of the UFC Abu Dhabi, Cannonier says that he is leaning to the former champion Whittaker to lift his hand.
“That is difficult … It is still difficult for me to go against Whittaker,” Cannonier told Matt Serra on UFC unfiltered.
“I think he is still a great hunter as a martial artist,” said Cannonier about Whittaker.
“I think he, like, had his last fight, not really went the way he wanted, and that could happen to everyone, I think. He had a number of existing conditions to contribute to the seriousness of the injury,” Cannonier about Whittaker's jawbreak in his last fight to Chimaev.
“Was it what? Du plessis?”
Whittaker defeated Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov between his losses for Du Plessis and Chimaev.
“I think Whittaker is doing the best this weekend,” Cannonier predicted.
Reinier de Ridder could crack the top 5 in the fourth UFC fight
Former two-division champion De Ridder is a light underdog in his first UFC head event against Whittaker.
The 34-year-old has had a great start to his UFC career and now De Ridder has the chance to enter the title interview with a win over Whittaker.
Although the upcoming UFC Paris Headliner between top candidates Nasourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho will probably decide who will get the next title shot, De Ridder will not be far behind in line if he has the upper hand this weekend.
It is worth noting that Du Plessis and Chimaev, the next middleweight title fight, have received their first chances of title after completing Whittaker.