Reinier de Ridder has officially entered the world of the middleweight elite after a grueling battle against Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi.

The middleweight division is under spotlight, and Reinier de Ridder positioned himself for a big fight after UFC Abu Dhabi.

Paulo Costa was quick to react to De Ridder’s UFC Abu Dhabi win over Whittaker. The charismatic Brazilian is not one to mince his words, and that was on display again as Costa claimed he would knock out De Ridder three times per round.

Reinier de Ridder picked up the biggest win of his career on Saturday when he took a hard-fought split decision over former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC Fight Night from Abu Dhabi.

It was a grueling and competitive fight, but de Ridder felt comfortable in winning three out of the five rounds they competed in. He was confident all three judges would agree with him, however, only two judges did,

Reinier de Ridder managed to squeak past former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker Saturday in Abu Dhabi.

A middleweight clash with title implications headlines UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi. Former UFC champion Robert Whittaker and former two-division ONE Championship king Reinier de Ridder fight weeks before a 185-pound title fight at UFC 319.

Reinier de Ridder edged out Robert Whittaker by split decision in UFC Abu Dhabi main event, but voiced frustration over a judge’s scorecard.

On Saturday at UFC Abu Dhabi, de Ridder shares a card with another former ONE fighter when Marcus Buchecha makes his octagon debut after he endured a similarly frustrating run there. While he certainly doesn't wish anybody ill will,