logo
UFC Abu Dhabi: How to watch Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder, start time, channel and more

UFC Abu Dhabi: How to watch Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder, start time, channel and more

Yahoo3 days ago
Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder will face off this weekend in a middleweight bout taking place in Abu Dhabi. A title may not be on the line, but Whittaker, a former middleweight champ, is looking to reclaim what was once his and will have to get through de Ridder to do so.
This weekend's UFC event will air live from Abu Dhabi with early prelims scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+. The main event will air live on ABC at 3 p.m. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Whittaker vs. de Ridder, including the full fight card, schedule and where to stream it live.
How to watch the Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder fight:
Date: Saturday, July 26
Start time: Event begins at 12 p.m. ET
Fight time (approximate): Main card fights begin at 3 p.m. ET
Location: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
TV channel/streaming: ABC, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+ (Main fight card), ESPN, ESPN+ (Early Prelims)
When is the Whittaker vs. de Ridder fight?
The UFC Abu Dhabi fight between Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder is this Saturday, July 26. Early prelims begin at 12 p.m. ET and main card fights start at 3 p.m. ET.
What channel is the Whittaker vs. de Ridder fight on?
The UFC Abu Dhabi fight between Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder will be available to view on ABC, ESPN Deportes (in Spanish) and ESPN+.
You can watch the early preliminary bouts at 12 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+.
Where to watch the Whittaker vs. de Ridder fight:
You can tune in to ABC and ESPN on platforms like Fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, and DirecTV, or stream every fight on ESPN+.
UFC Abu Dhabi fight card
Main Event, 3 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+)
Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder – Middleweight
Petr Yan vs. Marcus McGhee – Bantamweight
Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Marc-André Barriault – Middleweight
Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa – Flyweight
Nikita Krylov vs. Bogdan Guskov – Light heavyweight
Early Prelims, 12 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN+)
Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov – Bantamweight
Muslim Salikhov vs. Carlos Leal Miranda – Welterweight
Davey Grant vs. Da'Mon Blackshear – Bantamweight
Amanda Ribas vs. Tabatha Ricci – Strawweight
İbo Aslan vs. Billy Elekana – Light heavyweight
Mohammad Yahya vs. Steven Nguyen – Featherweight
Martin Buday vs. Marcus Buchecha – Heavyweight
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Steven Nguyen reacts to UFC record-breaking win, Jason Herzog's stoppage
Steven Nguyen reacts to UFC record-breaking win, Jason Herzog's stoppage

Yahoo

time5 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Steven Nguyen reacts to UFC record-breaking win, Jason Herzog's stoppage

Steven Nguyen was in the second UFC on ABC 9 prelim Saturday in Abu Dhabi, but the fight ended up as one of the main talking points among viewers. It was a historic night for Nguyen (10-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and a controversial one for referee Jason Herzog. Nguyen knocked opponent Muhammad Yahya down a record-breaking six times in the bout, which only lasted a total of 10 minutes. "Honestly, I felt like it was a triple bonus," Nguyen told MMA Junkie on Monday. "I got my first UFC win, which was most important. I made history, No. 2. And I got a bonus, as well, No. 3. It was like a triple bonus. It feels amazing. I feel amazing. I feel on top of the world right now. At the same time, it just makes me more hungry." Nguyen, like many who watched the fight, was wowed by Yahya's toughness. Even when his left eye inflated to the relative size of a softball, Yahya (12-6 MMA, 0-3 UFC) asked to keep going – but the doctor said no and the bout was waved off. "It was a little bit frustrating honestly," Nguyen said. "The first few knockdowns, it was like, 'OK, I know I secured the first round because I knocked him down.' Toward the second round, I kept knocking him down like, 'How is this guy still here?' I gassed myself trying to finish him so many times to where that very last knockdown, I just kind of hovered over him. I was just so tired. I was like, 'I'm just going to try to take this as a breather. Instead of unleashing punches on him, let me take a little breather.' I was so gassed." Making history It's not every day a fighter picks up his first UFC win – and makes history. He had no idea he set a new UFC record until Michael Bisping notified him in the post-fight interview. Nguyen still glowed about the feats he achieved days later and praised Yahya's heart and refusal to quit. "It takes two to tango and Muhammad didn't want to give up," Nguyen said. "Even after that eye was messed up, I remember shaking his hand right before the decision was called. He was like, 'I wanted to keep going.' So props to him for being that warrior – just nonstop. He wanted to keep fighting. Obviously, he wanted that win so bad, saying that to me. We were both trying to get our very first wins in the UFC. It's his home town and he had a lot of pressure. He wanted it real bad. Like I said, it takes two to make it happen. When Michael Bisping told me about it, he was the first person to tell me. My natural reaction was, 'This is f*cking amazing.' He's like, 'How do you feel about that?' I'm like, 'F*cking amazing.' It's like it's hit me, but I've just been in Dubai on vacation mode. It's really crazy to me to think I did that. It's more than just completing my dream. It's wild." Jason Herzog's stoppage Contributing to the historic moment was Herzog's threshold of allowance for Yahya to be knocked down so many times over the span of the 10-minute bout. The decision not to stop the fight until the doctor intervened was criticized by many pundits and commentators, including UFC lead play-by-play man Jon Anik. Nguyen had as close of a look as anyone but was hyper-focused on the task of finishing the fight. Having gone back and watched it, Nguyen is a bit surprised it was not stopped sooner – particularly after seeing Yahya's grotesque eye injury. "I didn't actually see his eye (injury) until after the fight," Nguyen said. "I was pretty locked in. I knew I did damage on him. But when I saw him after I was like, 'Oh sh*t, I did that?' There are a few times where I hit him and knocked him down. There was one time where his leg bent backward. I put my hands up like, 'This has to be a walkaway KO.' But nothing happened. Jason didn't stop it. I was like, 'OK, I have to finish him now.' I was definitely surprised but at the end of the day I'm just going to do what I have to do to win the fight. I wasn't thinking about it too much. But after watching the fight, there could've been a few times where the fight could've been stopped. But obviously at that time, I wasn't thinking about it." What's next? Nguyen, 32, has been crafting his game at Fortis MMA under coach Sayif Saud in Dallas for a few years now. Despite his advancements in the gym, Nguyen has had seldom opportunities to show them. Since he signed with the UFC in September 2023, Nguyen has only competed twice in the organization. Nguyen just tacks up the inactivity to circumstance, but hopes now that he has a little hype surrounding his name, more fight offers will start to come through. Nguyen plans to visit Vietnam soon and has a couple of bumps and bruises to heal, but is eager to get another fight in 2025. "I definitely want to ride this momentum, this wave that's starting to happen right now," Nguyen said. "I have a few little bumps and bruises right now but nothing major. As soon as I'm recovered, I'm going to be talking to my manager Jason House pretty soon when I get back to the states. We're going to come up with a good game plan. I definitely don't want to wait another year or 14 or 16 months. Definitely not that. I'm going to get back in the gym, get better, talk to my manager and we're going to figure out a good game plan. I definitely, definitely want to keep riding this momentum, man." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jason Herzog error? Steven Nguyen reacts to stoppage at UFC Abu Dhabi

Former 1st-round pick, Cowboys starting LT Tyler Guyton injured, ACL tear avoided
Former 1st-round pick, Cowboys starting LT Tyler Guyton injured, ACL tear avoided

USA Today

time6 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Former 1st-round pick, Cowboys starting LT Tyler Guyton injured, ACL tear avoided

An MRI will confirm the severity, but early signs point to a season-ending injury for Dallas' young tackle. Update: ESPN's Todd Archer is reporting that the dredded ACL tear has been avoided. Tyler Guyton is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with the injury. The Dallas Cowboys may be facing a devastating setback just one week into training camp. According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, starting left tackle Tyler Guyton is feared to have suffered a torn ACL during Monday's practice. The former first-round pick is set to undergo an MRI to confirm the severity of the injury. If tests confirm the tear, it would mark a significant loss for a Cowboys offensive line already navigating major transitions ahead of the 2025 season. Guyton, the No. 29 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, played in 15 games and made 11 starts as a rookie last season, taking over as the team's starting left tackle. He was set to continue in that role entering Year 2 under a new coaching staff, viewed as a key building block in Dallas' long-term plans up front. The 6-foot-8, 322-pound Oklahoma product went through growing pains in 2024, including allowing six sacks, 26 pressures, and committing 18 penalties, per Pro Football Focus. As a result, the team benched Guyton in favor of veteran's Chuma Edoga and Asim Richards. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer and the front office will likely weigh in on internal options and free agent possibilities as they await MRI results.

Jiri Prochazka says Khalil Rountree Jr. fight is for No. 1 contender: 'That was their word'
Jiri Prochazka says Khalil Rountree Jr. fight is for No. 1 contender: 'That was their word'

Yahoo

time35 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Jiri Prochazka says Khalil Rountree Jr. fight is for No. 1 contender: 'That was their word'

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka has his next assignment. A handful of big October bouts were announced this past week, including the Oct. 4 return of Prochazka for a showdown against Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 320 in Las Vegas. The UFC light heavyweight title will also be on the line in the card's main event, when champion Magomed Ankalaev rematches Alex Pereira. Prochazka revealed Monday on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show" that he's officially set to occupy the backup fighter role should anything go awry with the Anaklaev vs. Pereira 2 headliner. As for his bout against Rountree, he expects the winner to go on and challenge whoever holds the title after UFC 310. "It's not yet on the paper, but we are right now, that was their word," said Prochazka, who's twice challenged Pereira and twice lost by knockout to the Brazilian in the past three years. Since his latest win over Jamahal Hill at UFC 311 in January, Prochazka has stayed mentally sharp by continuing his college studies at Masarykova Univerzita. While he remains fully committed to his fight career, the former champ was dedicated to his schoolwork throughout the past semester, claiming to turn down a title shot offer against Ankalaev within the past several months. However, having bantered back and forth online with Ankalaev, the matchup against the champion remains enticing for Prochazka. "My hope is let the better [man] win, really," he said of Ankalaev vs. Pereira 2. "Because with Alex Pereira, there is a story [there between us] and a third fight, there's no other way to do [that] than to show the victory. With him, in a third fight, that would be great. To fight Ankalaev, it will be not just an honor, but I would like to fight Ankalaev, yeah. "In the first [Ankalaev vs. Pereira] fight, it was the same [question that will dominate conversation for the rematch] — how good will be Alex Pereira? Because in first fight, he didn't attack too much. He [held] himself a little bit back. I think, in his best shape, he will win for sure, but let's see. Ankalaev did great work with catching hands, up and down, changing levels. He did great work with Alex." If Prochazka wasn't getting a title fight next, he was hopeful to land Rountree instead. Unlike some of the Czech's latest foes, it's all respect for Rountree — and the matchup very easily could steal the show. "When I met him in Vegas, he looked like an ideal opponent," Prochazka said of Rountree. "He's a normal guy, technical, strategic, very dynamic. This is the opponent who I like to face. "I wanted to fight Ankalaev because there was a lot of trash talking after my fight, and from his side, there was a lot of not good words. But doesn't matter. This fight is about getting to the title, sure, but right now I'm really looking to show the best performance. This, for me, is the No. 1 [goal] in this game — to show the best performances. And I believe with Khalil, we can make a great fight." Prochazka vs. Rountree will only be a three-round bout, as UFC 320 hosts two title fights above it. Regardless, as with most of his fights, Prochazka doesn't expect the matchup to go the distance. Both men enter the Octagon fresh off victories over Hill. Prochazka put away the former champion with a third-round stoppage in a wild affair at UFC 311 to kickstart the year, while Rountree picked Hill apart for 25 minutes in a striking masterclass to win a unanimous decision this past June at UFC Baku. Prochazka and Rountree's performances were wildly different — chaos compared to calculation. If Prochazka has anything to say about it, he won't allow his opponent to dictate the pace in October. "A very careful performance. Patient," Prochazka said of Rountree's latest win. "My opinion, I don't like that. I don't like that performance because he gave Jamahal too many chances to be back in the fight. "[Rountree] had many chances to finish him decisively. That was not good. He was very patient, and what surprised me was Jamahal Hill's performance — I thought after a lot of trash talking, he would show a much better fight than he showed. "It was strange of Khalil to let him recover and still survive the fight, and Jamahal didn't show anything, and he was still too self-confident after the fight. If you want to fight on the top level, go there and show your best, totally, [with] no regrets."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store