Reinier de Ridder has won his fourth match at the UFC on Saturday night. The Dutch cage fighter was the strongest in a war of attrition against the Australian Robert Whittaker in Abu Dhabi.
De Ridder was the underdog against Whittaker beforehand. The latter is ranked number five in the world and a former middleweight champion. But De Ridder performed excellently in the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, filled with eighteen thousand people.
The Bredanaar lost the first round, but grew into the match and made it increasingly difficult for Whittaker. After a grueling match of five rounds of five minutes, De Ridder won the match by jury decision.
Thus, ‘The Dutch Knight’ continues to surprise in the UFC. He signed his first contract with the American organization last year, which is seen as the most prestigious organization in mixed martial arts (MMA). MMA is a branch of martial arts in which different martial arts are combined.
The move has so far been great for De Ridder. Last November, he debuted with a victory over Gerald Meerschaert. After that, the highly regarded fighters Kevin Holland and Bo Nickal also had to believe it. On Saturday, De Ridder also booked a victory in his fourth match.
There is a good chance that De Ridder will now be allowed to fight for the title in the middleweight division. That title is currently held by Dricus du Plessis from South Africa.