Robert Whittaker will face Reinier de Ridder in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card from Abu Dhabi. Whittaker’s striking and de Ridder’s submission capabilities will go head-to-head over five rounds in this fight. The winner will take a huge step toward contending for the middleweight title. Continue reading to get my Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder prediction for Saturday.
Our Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder Pick
- Pick: Robert Whittaker by decision
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
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Tale of the Tape
| Robert Whittaker | Reinier de Ridder | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 34 | 34 |
| Height | 6’0″ | 6’4″ |
| Reach | 73.5″ | 78″ |
| Stance | Orthodox | Southpaw |
| Record | 27–8–0 | 20–2–0 |
Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder Preview
Whittaker is a former undisputed UFC middleweight champion. He brings a dangerous striking arsenal into this fight. His recent resume shows high-level wins over Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov. But he was submitted by Khamzat Chimaev last October and he will look to bounce back with a win here against another fighter who is no stranger to winning via submission.
De Ridder is an elite grappler who is on a perfect UFC run so far. He boasts finishes over Kevin Holland, Gerald Meerschaert, and Bo Nickal in his first three fights. His win against Nickal earned a performance bonus after a stoppage due to a knee to the body that significantly changed the landscape of the middleweight division by ruining Nickal’s upward trajectory. De Ridder has earned 13 of his 20 career wins by submission. But his striking is still developing and he’s yet to face a polished striker of Whittaker’s caliber just yet.
Betting Insights
- Whittaker is the favorite in this fight at -166 at DraftKings Sportsbook. De Ridder is a +140 underdog.
- We are expected to see this fight end inside the distance. The over/under for this fight is set at 2.5 rounds. There are a maximum of five rounds to be fought given that this is a main event matchup.
- De Ridder has not seen a fight go the distance since joining UFC.
- Only one of Whittaker’s last four fights has gone the distance.
Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder Prediction
This fight will come down to how well each man does at preventing their opponent from doing what they do best. Whittaker will need to use leg kicks and lateral movement to avoid de Ridder’s grappling. De Ridder will need to get this fight to the ground to prevent Whittaker from dominating the fight with his striking. And the ability to stretch this fight over five rounds will benefit whoever comes in with better cardio.
For me, Whittaker’s experience in high-level fights and his dangerous striking make him the best bet for this matchup. He did lose by submission in his last fight. But that was against a fighter in Chimaev who is one of the best in UFC right now. I expect Bobby Knuckles to bounce back here and to win this fight between two ranked middleweight contenders.
