While he did get absolutely bombed with a punch that knocked him to the ground in the third round, de Ridder showed off some impressive grappling and managed to hurt Whittaker several times with some nasty knees to the body. Combine that with his ability to control the distance and outwork Whittaker in the clinch and that was enough for de Ridder to secure the win in the UFC Abu Dhabi main event. When the fighters separated, Whittaker tried to throw some combinations with de Ridder coming back at him with more of the knees up the middle and a slick jab behind it.
Author: Damon Martin
Published at: 2025-07-26 22:13:17
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