UFC Abu Dhabi: De Ridder vs Whittaker, Yan resurges and Magomedov advances

De Ridder Shocks Whittaker at UFC Fight Night

The two-division ONE Championship ex-champion, Reinier de Ridder, has put the UFC middleweight division on notice after a split decision victory over ex-champion Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC Fight Night held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Despite being knocked down and nearly finished by Whittaker, De Ridder demonstrated his determination by coming back and overcoming Whittaker, securing the victory. Since his promotional debut last November, De Ridder has accumulated an impressive 4-0 record.

In the co-main event, former bantamweight champion Petr Yan showed he’s still a force to be reckoned with in the division, defeating Marcus McGhee by unanimous decision. Could he be close to challenging for the belt again? Also, what can we expect from Shara Magomedov’s victory over Marc-Andre Barriault in the main card?

Analysis of Star Fights

Robert Whittaker’s defeat is a bittersweet but beneficial moment for the division. Whittaker is one of the benchmarks of the sport, known for his dedication and professionalism. Although he had an underestimated start to his career, his path to the title was interrupted by difficult challenges and rivals. Despite his good performance, his age and De Ridder’s progress suggest a changing of the guard in the middleweight division. De Ridder’s victory boosts his career and revitalizes the category. Regarding Petr Yan, he might be the most underrated fighter in the UFC. After losing the championship in 2020 due to a controversial disqualification, Yan has faced split decisions and defeats against high-level rivals.

Despite these setbacks, Yan remains a formidable competitor and his return to the top is a latent possibility. Shara Magomedov’s career promises to be exciting and full of challenges. His victory over Barriault demonstrated his striking ability and his recovery capacity, although his path to the title will be full of obstacles. The victory on Saturday was impressive. Magomedov showed high-level striking and near-perfect takedown defense. He overcame adversity in the second round, when Barriault broke his nose, but showed courage and won the fight. Magomedov, who was the favorite in the betting, did not dominate the fight as expected. His defeat to Michael “Venom” Page demonstrates that he will not have an easy path to the UFC title. But, as he showed on Saturday, Magomedov is prepared for the challenge.