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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC on ABC 9 full fight video: Reinier de Ridder hands Bo Nickal first pro loss
Bo Nickal tasted his first professional defeat in MMA, courtesy of Reinier de Ridder. Back in May at UFC on ESPN 67, Reinier de Ridder took on Nickal in a highly anticipated middleweight bout, given it was Nickal's biggest test in his career. Yet, despite entering the fight as a favorite, de Ridder controlled the entirety of the fight until getting a TKO stoppage over in Round 2. It was a big win for the former ONE Championship champion that put him on a three-fight winning streak in the octagon. You can watch de Ridder's win in the video above. De Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) returns to the cage this Saturday in the main event of UFC on ABC 9 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. He takes on former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC). This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Abu Dhabi full fight video: Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ABC 9 full fight video: Reinier de Ridder hands Bo Nickal first pro loss
Bo Nickal tasted his first professional defeat in MMA, courtesy of Reinier de Ridder. Back in May at UFC on ESPN 67, Reinier de Ridder took on Nickal in a highly anticipated middleweight bout, given it was Nickal's biggest test in his career. Yet, despite entering the fight as a favorite, de Ridder controlled the entirety of the fight until getting a TKO stoppage over in Round 2. It was a big win for the former ONE Championship champion that put him on a three-fight winning streak in the octagon. You can watch de Ridder's win in the video above. De Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) returns to the cage this Saturday in the main event of UFC on ABC 9 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. He takes on former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC).
USA Today
18-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Reinier de Ridder: Pressure key in beating Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 9
ABU DHABI – Reinier de Ridder plans on bringing the fight to Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 9. De Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) meets former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC) in the July 26 main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. De Ridder won't put too much stock into Whittaker's quick submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308. Instead, he expects the version who blasted Ikram Aliskerov for a first-round knockout at UFC on ABC 6. "He's been at the top for so long. We've seen him win spectacularly. We've seen him lose spectacularly," De Ridder told MMA Junkie of Whittaker. "The Khamzat fight I don't put too much in because it was clear that that wasn't a great choke. The positioning wasn't perfect, the positioning of his arms wasn't perfect. I just think he got lucky there. That injury was already in place, and he was able to take advantage of that. "But a little while before that against Ikram (Aliskerov), he did amazing. Robert did very well, and it showed us how dangerous he still is. It's a great warning for me that I cannot go into the fight like Ikram did. I cannot give him space. I cannot give him time to look and see, because he has real knockout power, and very nice, clean, straight shots. I've got to be very mindful of that." De Ridder was able to walk down previously undefeated Bo Nickal, wear him out, and finish him at UFC on ESPN 67. He plans on doing the same to Whittaker. "The pressure is the most important thing for me," De Ridder said. "I've got to put pressure on him. I've got to bring the heat early because I cannot let him move. I cannot let him see what's happening. I cannot let him play. He likes to bounce. He likes to look, and I'm sure I'm going to take him down. It's what I like the most, and I have to put him on his ass at least once. But we'll see if I can do damage meanwhile before."
USA Today
17-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Reinier de Ridder won't mind if Dricus Du Plessis or Khamzat Chimaev wins at UFC 319
Reinier de Ridder has a vested interest in the UFC 319 main event. De Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) will look to emerge into title contention when he takes on former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC) in the UFC on ABC 9 main event July 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Less than a month later, Dricus Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) defends his middleweight title against undefeated Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the Aug. 16 main event from United Center in Chicago. De Ridder sees pros and cons to either fighter winning when it comes to his title run. "I think if it's going to be Khamzat, then it might slow everything a bit down because he doesn't really fight that often," De Ridder told MMA Junkie Radio. "So, that being said, it would be nice if it's Dricus, but I don't really mind too much. "Khamzat would be nice because he's more of a guy with hype behind him than Dricus does, even with Dricus being the champ. But we'll see. We'll see what happens, and I imagine I'll be fighting both of them before next year's over anyway." De Ridder has surprised in his UFC run so far, scoring finishes of Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland, and most recently formerly unbeaten Bo Nickal at UFC on ESPN 67 in the span of six months. Nickal to Whittaker is a big step up in competition for the former ONE dual champion, but De Ridder doesn't see Whittaker underestimating him. "I don't know, he's not much of a trash talker anyway," De Ridder said of Whittaker. "I doubt we'll hear if he still doubts me, but we're going to find out. As you guys saw, the fights have been going very well, and I feel like I've really improved, as well, over the last year. Just because of the sheer amount I've been training with the guys of the highest level. So I don't think he's really doubting me, but we'll see."
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Cory Sandhagen 'not going to be afraid to wrestle' UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili
LAS VEGAS - Cory Sandhagen is not backing down from the challenge of dethroning UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. Sandhagen (18-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC) is expected to be next in line for Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC) after finishing Deiveson Figueiredo in the UFC on ESPN 67 headliner in May. Nobody's had an answer for Dvalishvili's relentless pace, grappling, and cardio, with his resume including wins over Sean O'Malley twice, Umar Nurmagomedov, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, and more. However, Sandhagen says he won't fear taking the fight to Dvalishvili – even in the grappling exchanges. "I mean, everyone has holes," Sandhagen told MMA Junkie Radio of Dvalishvili. "I'm going to be better than him, that's how I'm going to do it. I'm going to go out, and I'm just going to be better everywhere. I'm not going to be afraid to wrestle him. I'm not going to buy into this narrative that Merab is this unbeatable thing. In all of his fights, he's had moments where he's looked beatable, and I'm going to go out there and make Merab deal with me." Sandhagen, who's beaten contenders such as former flyweight title holder Figueiredo, Song Yadong, and Marlon Vera, is confident that his skillset has rounded up well enough to become UFC champion. "I'm really good right now," Sandhagen said. "I train a lot, man. I train a lot, a lot, and that pays off after a long time. I know that everyone says they train a lot, but I know what they mean when they say that, and I know what I mean when I say it. I train a lot, I'm always getting better, I'm always adding in new things. "One of my favorite things about the sport is adding new weapons, and I know not everyone is like that, but I'm built that way. So, yeah, I'm pumped. I get to go out and look different in six months or whenever it is that we fight and be the best version of myself and a world champ."
