ROBERT Whittaker will be feeling the pressure on Saturday when he welcomes relative newcomer Reinier de Ridder to UFC championship class out in Abu Dhabi

It feels like only yesterday when the Aussie was crowned undisputed UFC middleweight champion.

An eight-fight win streak up at 185lb saw the 2012 TUF Smashes welterweight tournament winner catapulted to world #1.

But, in fact, that was seven years ago now, and, whilst he’s remained within touching distance of the title, defeat in UAE would send him crashing down the championship rankings.

THE DUTCH KNIGHT

This weekend, ‘Bobby Knuckles’ returns to the UAE to headline once more, but his opponent isn’t a former UFC champion or another top contender.

De Ridder has had just three fights in the Octagon, but ‘The Dutch Knight’ has been a prominent European mixed martial artist for some time.

Fighting for Asia’s ONE Championship, de Ridder was a simultaneous two-division middleweight and light heavyweight champion.

Unlike so many of his kickboxing-obsessed countrymen, the Dutchman is a specialist ground fighter, thanks to black belts in both judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

His 20-2 record includes 13 submission and five knockout victories, whilst both deefats landed back-to-back against the same guy, Russian sensation Anatoly Malykhin.

BOBBY KNUCKLES

After losing the belt to Israel Adesanya in 2019, Whittaker bounced back with three decision wins over a hat-trick of former title challengers.

But a return with Izzy went the same way, then a 2023 loss to Dricus du Plessis punched the South African’s ticket to fighting for and winning the belt.

Wins over Paulo Costa and late stand-in Ikram Aliskerov last year manoeuvred Whittaker back into a chief eliminator spot.

However, after being submitted in round one by new #1 contender Khamzat Chimaev in this same Octagon back in October, Whittaker is feeling the heat from below.

STYLE MATCH-UP

That defeat was only the second submission loss of Whittaker’s career, the first one dating back almost 15 years, but naturally concerning heading into a cage with de Ridder.

The UFC newcomer strangled both Gerlad Meerschaert and Kevin Holland – talented grapplers in their own right – before knocking out then-unbeaten US wrestling star Bo Nickal in May.

Whittaker represents a significant step up in UFC class, but the Dutchman is naturally the bigger man, and with 18 finishes in 20 wins, he has a lot fewer miles on the clock.

The two game plans contrast one another perfectly.

De Ridder needs to close the distance safely, get his hands on Whittaker, and use his trips to force takedowns and apply heavy grappling.

Whittaker has shown some of the best standup in MMA, and has the footwork and Octagon generalship to pick de Ridder off from range and cruise to a decision.

A veteran of five-round fights, Adesanya is actually the only man to defeat Whittaker over the UFC’s championship distance, where five others have failed.

De Ridder is the man in form, but Whittaker operates on a level well above his last three opponents.

The former champ also has the defensive wrestling chops to ensure this fight takes place where he wants, meaning plenty of time to strike clean and impress the judges.

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