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UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi: Whittaker and De Ridder both make weight

UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi: Whittaker and De Ridder both make weight

The National3 days ago
Robert Whittaker weighed in half-a-pound lighter than his opponent Reinier de Ridder during Friday's official weigh-ins ahead of UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi.
Former middleweight champion Whittaker (27-8) weighed in at 186lbs, while his opponent tipped the scales at at 186lbs.
The pair will headline Saturday's latest installment of the UFC in Abu Dhabi, which takes place at Etihad Arena on Yas Bay.
Australian Whittaker, 34, is no stranger to Abu Dhabi having fought three times previously in the capital.
His last outing in the UAE ended in a first-round loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 last October. He has previous wins over Jarrod Cannonier and Darren Till, both in 2020.
De Ridder (20-2) has emerged as a rising contender in the middleweight division since joining the UFC last July.
Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland and Bo Nickal have all been dispatched by the 34-year-old Dutchman over the past 12 month, all inside the distance.
Former bantamweight champion Petr Yan of Russia weighed in at 135.5lbs for his co-main event against Marcus McGhee, who hit the 136lbs non-title limit.
Weigh-in results:
Main card
Main event - Middleweight: Robert Whittaker (185.5) vs Reinier de Ridder (186)
Co-main event - Bantamweight: Petr Yan (135.5) vs Marcus McGhee (136)
Middleweight: Shara Magomedov (186) vs Marc-Andre Barriault (185)
Flyweight: Asu Almabayev (126) vs Jose Ochoa (125.5)
Prelims
Welterweight: Muslim Salikhov (170.5) vs Carlos Leal (170)
Bantamweight: Davey Grant (136) vs Da'Mon Blackshear (136)
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