The event, which takes place at Etihad Arena on July 26, will feature a 185-pound main event clash between former undisputed world champion Robert Whittaker and rising Dutch contender and former two-weight ONE Championship world champion Reinier De Ridder.
Whittaker will be looking to bounce back after his first-round submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev that saw his jaw crushed by a face crank from the Swedish-Chechen contender last October. Prior to that defeat, the Australian appeared to be making a beeline for another shot at the 185-pound title, with impressive wins over Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov.
Now he’ll take on one of the middleweight division’s newest contenders. De Ridder captured ONE Championship belts at 205 and 225 pounds, but dropped down to 185 pounds upon joining the UFC.
Since his arrival, “The Dutch Knight” has submitted submission specialist Gerald Meerschaert and two-division danger-man Kevin Holland. Most recently, he became the first fighter to defeat former college wrestling standout Bo Nickal as he finished the ex-Penn State wrestler with knees in the second round at UFC Des Moines earlier this month.
Victory for either man will move them one step closer to a shot at the current champion at 185 pounds, Dricus Du Plessis. The South African world champion is currently awaiting his next assignment, with a bout against Chimaev widely expected to be next.
