Reinier de Ridder will turn his attention to a middleweight title shot next, after beating former champion Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi.

After his win, "The King of Kung Fu" called for a fight with former two-time title challenger Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, arguably the best karate specialist in UFC history. A few years ago, that would have been a grossly overambitious callout, but it makes sense today.

This Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card has been hit with several changes, including a new fighter stepping in to the main event.

SportsLine's Daniel Vithlani reveals his picks for the UFC Fight Night fight card from Etihad Arena at Yas Island in Yas West United Arab Emirates on Saturday

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’.

Prediction and betting tips on the match Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder 27.07.2025: match preview, lineups, odds for the game. Reinier de Ridder is favoured to win.

UFC star Robert Whittaker has said that UFC boss Dana White helped pay for new teeth following his defeat to Khamzat Chimaev.

After Whittaker beat Yoel Romero to become interim champion and was later elevated to undisputed king when Georges St-Pierre vacated the throne, ‘The Reaper’ hoped to continue his charge toward greatness. At 185 pounds, the next step was a unification fight against Adesanya. Beyond that, though, the Australian had eyes on another piece of UFC gold.