UFC on ABC 9 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN+) took place Saturday, and MMA Junkie provided live round-by-round coverage and official result. UFC on ABC 9 took place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. In the headliner, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (26-9 MMA, 17-7 UFC) took on former ONE champion Reinier de Ridder (21-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC).

UFC’s Abu Dhabi card has reignited the debate over whether the promotion should take a page from boxing’s playbook. While most of the main card went to decisions, including Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus du Plessis,

Robert Whittaker’s return to the octagon after a gruesome injury last October ended in disappointment as he lost a split decision to Reinier De Ridder. Former UFC middleweight champion Whittaker had his teeth smashed in,

Thoughts and analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC Abu Dhabi, including why Petr Yan should get a shot at gold.

Head-to-toe Middleweight bout breakdown for their main event match this weekend (Sat., July 26, 2025) at UFC Abu Dhabi inside Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

In a featherweight bout, Fortis MMA’s Steven Nguyen made history when he knocked down Mohammad Yahya 8 times—6 times, officially, setting a new knockdown record in the premier promotion.

The teeth were long at 185 pounds in Robert Whittaker's championship heyday, and "Bobby Knuckles" was the young gun coming for blood. But these days? It’s his blood they're coming for.

Is this Robert Whittaker’s last chance to stay in the UFC title picture? Is Reinier de Ridder the dark horse of the middleweight division?

Robert Whittaker was born on December 20, 1990, making him 34 years old as of July 2025. He was born in New Zealand but grew up in Australia, where he now lives. Whittaker was the first Australian to hold a championship in the UFC when he became the UFC Middleweight champion.