UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder
United Arab Emirates
Main Card • Final
Netherlands
R5, 5:00
Australia
Russia
R3, 5:00
United States
R3, 5:00
Fight of the Night
Canada
Kazakhstan
R3, 5:00
Peru
Uzbekistan
R1, 4:18
Prelims • Final
R3, 5:00
R1, 0:42
Performance of the Night
Brazil
England
R3, 5:00
R2, 2:59
R3, 5:00
Turkiye
R2, 5:00
Performance of the Night
Slovakia
R3, 5:00
Official Event Results
$50k FOTN
$50k POTN
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Fight of the Night: Sharabutdin Magomedov and Marc-André Barriault each earned $50,000 for their back-and-forth middleweight war on the main card.
Performance of the Night: Muslim Salikhov earned $50,000 for his lightning-fast 42-second first-round knockout over Carlos Leal.
Performance of the Night: Steven Nguyen earned $50,000 for his record-setting performance, scoring six official knockdowns against Mohammad Yahya before securing a second-round doctor stoppage.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — |
*Official fighter purse figures were not publicly disclosed by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) or the UFC. Base purses and contractual win bonuses remain undisclosed (indicated by —). Disclosed bonus awards ($50,000 each) reflect verified official UFC post-fight bonuses.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder
Steven Nguyen knocked down Mohammad Yahya 6 times across two rounds, breaking the previous UFC all-time record of 5 knockdowns held jointly by Jeremy Stephens (vs. Gilbert Melendez) and Forrest Petz (vs. Sammy Morgan).
Steven Nguyen scored 5 knockdowns in Round 1 alone, tying the historic UFC single-round knockdown record and earning a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
Reinier de Ridder improved to 4-0 in the UFC since his November 2024 debut, securing a split decision victory over former undisputed champion Robert Whittaker to enter the title picture.
With 66 significant strikes landed in the main event, Robert Whittaker surpassed 1,500 total significant strikes landed inside the Octagon at middleweight.
Former champion Petr Yan recorded his 11th career UFC bantamweight victory, tying him for the fourth-most wins in the division’s promotional history.
At 41 years of age, Muslim Salikhov scored a 42-second knockout over Carlos Leal, registering the second-fastest finish of his 9-year UFC career and earning Performance of the Night.
Shara Magomedov retained his perfect record in Abu Dhabi (3-0), landing 93 significant strikes at a 65.5% accuracy clip in a three-round Fight of the Night war against Marc-André Barriault.
Asu Almabayev maintained an unblemished 5-0 UFC record by defeating Jose Ochoa, racking up 7 takedowns and 9:26 of dominant ground control time.
Moving down to bantamweight for the first time in his UFC tenure, Bryce Mitchell earned a unanimous decision over ranked contender Said Nurmagomedov with 9:44 of mat control.
Bogdan Guskov maintained a 100% UFC finish rate with his 4:18 first-round stoppage of Nikita Krylov, notching his third consecutive opening-round knockout inside the Octagon.
Tabatha Ricci secured the first knockout/TKO victory of her UFC career, halting top-contender Amanda Ribas with vicious standing elbows and follow-up ground strikes at 2:59 of Round 2.
The card marked the promotion’s 21st event overall in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and the 11th fight card hosted inside the world-class Etihad Arena on Yas Island.
When and where did UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder take place?
The event took place on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Why is this event also called UFC on ABC 9 or UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. de Ridder?
While officially branded on UFC.com and international feeds as UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder, the main card was broadcast live across American network television on ABC, earning it the official broadcast designation of UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. de Ridder (or UFC on ABC 9).
Who won the main event between Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder?
Reinier de Ridder defeated former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker via split decision (48–47, 47–48, 48–47) across five rounds.
Who won the co-main event between Petr Yan and Marcus McGhee?
Former bantamweight champion Petr Yan defeated Marcus McGhee via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) in their three-round 135-pound co-headliner.
What historic UFC knockdown record was broken at this event?
Steven Nguyen set the new all-time UFC record for the most knockdowns in a single fight (6) against Mohammad Yahya, surpassing the previous record of 5 held by Jeremy Stephens and Forrest Petz.
Who won the $50,000 post-fight bonus awards?
Four fighters received $50,000 bonus awards: Shara Magomedov vs. Marc-André Barriault won Fight of the Night, while Steven Nguyen and Muslim Salikhov each earned Performance of the Night honors.
What was the fastest knockout of the night?
41-year-old veteran Muslim Salikhov secured a devastating one-punch knockout over Carlos Leal in just 42 seconds of Round 1.
How did Bryce Mitchell perform in his bantamweight debut?
Bryce Mitchell successfully made his 135-pound divisional debut, defeating Said Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) backed by 9 minutes and 44 seconds of mat control.
How did Tabatha Ricci defeat Amanda Ribas?
Tabatha Ricci secured her first promotional stoppage via TKO (elbow and punches) at 2:59 of Round 2 in an all-Brazilian women’s strawweight matchup.
How did Bogdan Guskov defeat Nikita Krylov?
Bogdan Guskov scored a first-round knockout over ranked light heavyweight contender Nikita Krylov at 4:18 of Round 1 via heavy punches.
What is Asu Almabayev’s UFC record following this event?
With his unanimous decision win over Jose Ochoa (30–27, 30–27, 29–28), Almabayev extended his promotional record to 5-0 and improved his career record to 24-3-0.
How was the event broadcast in the United States?
The main card was simulcast on free-to-air network television via ABC and streaming on ESPN+, while the preliminary card was broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+.
Who were the commentators and announcer for this event?
Play-by-play lead John Gooden was joined cage-side by color analysts Michael Bisping and Paul Felder, with Bruce Buffer announcing inside the Octagon and Heidi Androl reporting.
What happened to the scheduled Movsar Evloev vs. Aaron Pico co-main event?
The highly anticipated five-round co-headliner between Movsar Evloev and promotional newcomer Aaron Pico was scrapped less than two weeks before fight night after Evloev suffered an injury in training.
How many total fights took place at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder?
The event featured 12 total bouts: 5 on the main card and 7 on the preliminary card, resulting in 5 knockout/TKO finishes and 7 decision verdicts.
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