Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will look to rebound from a high-profile loss in his last appearance, when he headlines UFC Fight Night on July 26 against Reinier de Ridder.
UFC officials announced the 185-pound bout on Saturday. The UFC Fight Night will take place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Whittaker (26-8) is coming off a first-round submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev in October. The 34-year-old said he suffered from teeth displacement in the loss, after Chimaev secured an early face crank after an immediate takedown. Whittaker had been approaching title contention prior to the loss, with victories over Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov.
De Ridder (20-2), who goes by the nickname “RDR,” is coming off the biggest win of his career in a second-round knockout of Bo Nickal last weekend. The Dutch contender is 3-0 since signing with the UFC last year. He’s compiled those three victories in a span of less than six months.
Current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis does not currently have his next title defense set, but the UFC has already announced he will face Chimaev on a date to be determined.
