Reinier de Ridder has officially entered the world of the middleweight elite after a grueling battle against Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi.

Reinier de Ridder secured the biggest win of his Octagon career at UFC Abu Dhabi, narrowly securing a hard-fought split decision over former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at the Etihad Arena in the United Arab Emirates.

UFC Abu Dhabi’s co-main was Petr Yan vs. Marcus McGhee. McGhee came into this one undefeated (4-0) to start his UFC career and he’s been given a massive step up in competition. Yan was fighting someone way outside the Top 5 because he’s pretty much fought everyone else.