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Robert Whittaker | ‘I’m Fighting For That Fairytale Ending’
Former Middleweight Champ Robert Whittaker Looks To Take A Pivotal Step Closer To The Title With A Statement Win Over Reinier De Ridder At UFC Abu Dhabi
After suffering a difficult setback against Khamzat Chimaev last October, Robert Whittaker returns to action at UFC Abu Dhabi looking to remind the world what he’s capable of.
Rather than dwell on the loss, the former middleweight champion took some time to reflect before returning to the gym with renewed focus. Defeats have been few and far between for Whittaker, who hasn’t lost back-to-back fights in over a decade. He’s made a career out of learning and coming back stronger from defeat, and he’ll look to do it once again when he faces Reinier de Ridder in Saturday’s main event.
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“Unfortunately, I’ve always been the type to learn the hard way,” Whittaker told UFC.com. “I take a lot from every loss. I’m a very reflective person. After a fight, we go back to the gym, we sit around, talk about what we liked, what we didn’t like. I look at the bigger picture. I look at my physicality, I look at my mental state and see what I could’ve changed and what I could’ve done differently. Then just get back on the horse.
“I was asking for a fight much sooner. It is what it is, the division was tied up. Then his name popped up, I saw the location, I love fighting here, as well, so everything just fell into place.”
At the start of this year, de Ridder may not even have been on Whittaker’s radar. The former ONE middleweight and light heavyweight champion made his UFC debut just nine months ago, but three straight finishes have quickly led him to a date with “The Reaper.”
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“Anyone that’s done their research knows he’s been fighting on the track for a long time,” Whittaker said. “He’s had multiple belts in other organizations. He’s fought a lot of high-level dudes, a lot of five rounders. He’s as experienced as I am. I expect nothing less. I expect a hard fight come Saturday. I’ve trained and prepared accordingly, so I’m looking forward to it.”
“He’s got a very particular skill set and a very particular way of fighting. If he enforces that on you, if he executes his gameplan and you let him do what he wants, he wins fights.”
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Robert Whittaker | Greatest Hits
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De Ridder scored submission wins over UFC veteran Gerald Meerschaert and fan-favorite Kevin Holland, then halted the rise of prospect Bo Nickal with a second-round TKO in May. While all impressive results against quality opposition, Whittaker believes none of them compare to the challenge de Ridder will face in Abu Dhabi.
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“No one’s ever fought people like me,” Whittaker said. “I like to think that I’m special and I’m going to get in there and show him the difference.
“Just go in there and make him pay for every inch he tries to take and, honestly, just hit him. Get my mitts on him, stuff his takedowns. Everything he wants to do, don’t let him.”
At this stage of his career, Robert Whittaker remains focused on the same goal he’s chased since his 2019 loss to Israel Adesanya: reclaiming the UFC middleweight title. At just 34 years old, he still has plenty of time, but to stay in the hunt, he first needs to halt the momentum of another rising contender inside Etihad Arena on July 26.
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“The doors at middleweight are always open,” Whittaker said. “An opportunity presents itself every time you win. I just got to go in there, stick to the task, execute my game and see what happens.
“I want to finish on top. I want to reclaim the gold, I want to fight (Champion) Dricus (Du Plessis) again, I want to make amends with myself, and then I want to sail off into the sunset. I’m fighting for that fairytale ending.”
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs De Ridder took place live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on July 26, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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