Pros Predict Robert Whittaker Vs. Reinier de Ridder – ‘He Will Struggle’

Robert Whittaker takes on Reinier de Ridder on July 26 at UFC Abu Dhabi, as MMA pros gave their predictions.

Whittaker has plenty to prove following his last performance. He suffered a first-round submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev, suffering a broken jaw in the process. The loss was a major setback as it disrupted his bid to get a title shot against the current middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis. 

Meanwhile, de Ridder has made an impressive transition to the UFC, winning all three of his fights since joining the organisation. He has achieved 13 of his 20 career wins via a submission. However, getting Whittaker to the ground won’t be easy, as he has one of the best takedown defenses in the division, stopping over 77 percent of attempts. Here is how pros saw the fight playing out.

Predictions

“Whittaker will make this fight tough for de Ridder as he can control the fight at range and use his striking to win.” (Marcus McGhee, UFC bantamweight)

“I’m going with Whittaker, I think he keeps it standing to get a decision win. I just think he’ll be a much better striker.” (Steve Garcia, UFC featherweight)

“Reinier de Ridder has a lot of confidence, but I think Robert Whittaker is a different type of cat. With his style, I think Whittaker gets the win.” (Austen Lane, UFC heavyweight)

“de Ridder has been beating these guys, man. I think he gets the win here using his grappling to submit Whittaker like Khamzat did.” (Max Griffin, UFC welterweight)

“Whittaker is a crafty guy who’s hard to take down, and he’s quick on the feet. I think RDR will struggle to take him down, and Whittaker will win.” (Eryk Anders, UFC middleweight)

“I’m a Whittaker fan, so hopefully him. He has to keep it standing, which I think he will, and he’s a much better striker than de Ridder.” (Drakkar Klose, UFC lightweight)

“I’m a big Robert Whittaker fan, so I have to go with him, 100 percent.” (Davey Grant, UFC bantamweight)

Full Card

Robert Whittaker (Middleweight) vs. Reinier de Ridder (Middleweight)

Petr Yan (Bantamweight) vs. Marcus McGhee (Bantamweight)

Shara Magomedov (Middleweight) vs. Marc‑Andre Barriault (Middleweight)

Asu Almabayev (Flyweight) vs. Jose Ochoa (Flyweight)

Nikita Krylov (Light Heavyweight) vs. Bogdan Guskov (Light Heavyweight)

Prelims

Bryce Mitchell (Bantamweight) vs. Said Nurmagomedov (Bantamweight)

Muslim Salikhov (Welterweight) vs. Carlos Leal (Welterweight)

Davey Grant (Bantamweight) vs. Da’mon Blackshear (Bantamweight)

Amanda Ribas (Women’s Strawweight) vs. Tabatha Ricci (Women’s Strawweight)

Ibo Aslan (Light Heavyweight) vs. Billy Elekana (Light Heavyweight)

Mohammad Yahya (Featherweight) vs. Steven Nguyen (Featherweight)

Martin Buday (Heavyweight) vs. Marcus Buchecha (Heavyweight)