Reinier de Ridder, Robert Whittaker to Headline UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26

One fight after dispatching one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most highly-touted prospects, Reinier de Ridder will get the opportunity to face a respected former champion.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Satuday that the former ONE Championship two-division title holder will square off against Robert Whittaker in the UFC Abu Dhabi headliner on July 26 at Etihad Arena. The main card is expected to air on ABC and ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT.

De Ridder has been victorious in 20 of 22 professional outings, with his lone two defeats coming via TKO against Anatoly Malykhin under the ONE banner. “The Dutch Knight” has kicked off his Octagon tenure in style, earning finishes against Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland and Nickal. De Ridder has secured 18 of his 20 career triumphs inside the distance, including 13 via submission.

A former 185-pound champion, Whittaker has remained near the top of the division despite not holding the belt since 2019. “The Reaper” is coming off a first-round submission loss to current No. 1 contender Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 this past October. His resume includes notable triumphs over the likes of Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, Kelvin Gastelum, Jared Cannonier, Darren Till, Yoel Romero (twice) and Ronaldo Souza, among others.