Bo Nickal tasted his first professional defeat in MMA, courtesy of Reinier de Ridder.

A middleweight clash with title implications headlines UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi. Former UFC champion Robert Whittaker and former two-division ONE Championship king Reinier de Ridder fight weeks before a 185-pound title fight at UFC 319.

UFC Abu Dhabi headliner Reinier de Ridder had to overcome an imposing two-division champ for his first taste of world championship glory. De Ridder is currently in pursuit of the UFC middleweight title after signing with MMA’s leading promotion in 2024. He’s gotten off to a strong start, winning all three of his Octagon appearances to date.

Former two-division ONE Championship titleholder Reinier de Ridder arguably may already be the most successful fighter to go from ONE to the UFC. The Dutchman has won his first three fights in the Octagon since his November debut,

On Saturday at UFC Abu Dhabi, de Ridder shares a card with another former ONE fighter when Marcus Buchecha makes his octagon debut after he endured a similarly frustrating run there. While he certainly doesn't wish anybody ill will,

In his toughest test in the UFC to date, Reinier de Ridder hopes to make a statement against Robert Whittaker when they face off in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi. It’s well known that ‘The Dutch Knight’ is an incredibly dangerous submission specialist once the fight hits the floor.

On Episode 3,585, the guys welcome in UFC middleweight Reinier de Ridder, who takes on former champ Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 9. The fellas also recap UFC 318, which went down in New Orleans, featuring Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway for the BMF title. Tune in!