Prediction for the fight Robert Whittaker vs Rainier De Ridder

Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has an intriguing showdown looming against top prospect Rainier De Ridder. They have been lined up to headline UFC on ABC 9 on July 26 at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The Etihad Arena will be the venue for the fight for a spot in the top 5 of the 84kg division.

• Robert Whittaker vs Rainier De Ridder;
• Robert Whittaker;
• Rainier De Ridder;
• Comparative analysis;
• Game Totals Prediction.

Robert Whittaker vs Rainier De Ridder

Robert Whittaker

Robert is the fifth best middleweight. "The Reaper" collects black belts in hapkido, jiu-jitsu and karate, where he is especially good. He also once held the UFC title, and in addition to this, he took victory on the reality show TUF.

In the last five fights, 3 bets on Whittaker's victory came in, as he failed to cope with Chimaev and Du Plessis. But the Australian got past Aliskerov, Costa and Vettori.

Strengths

Robert is all about speed, footwork, a great sense of distance and champion cardio. His fast legs allow him to sting his opponents with lightning-fast doubles and get out of striking range, and sometimes brighten it up with kicks and sweeping punches. He has wrestling skills too, but not at the top level.

Weaknesses

The fight with Chimaev showed Whittaker's weaknesses horizontally. But his defense is a much bigger problem: in general, it is good, but in literally every fight Rob "yawns", taking a heavy blow and saving himself from a knockout. A kind of lover of sharp moments.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

The fighter is 34 years old, he will enter the cage after a serious defeat with a jaw injury, having taken a break since October 2024. "The Reaper" himself spoke about how many steps he must take before he gets a new title chance, and De Ridder can throw him too far from this opportunity. That is why we expect extreme concentration from Rob with the desire to leave no questions about who is the best in the octagon.

Rainier De Ridder

The fighter from the Netherlands is on a three-fight winning streak in the UFC, which has propelled him to No. 12 in the rankings. Renier has held belts in two regional promotions and the much more famous One FC league, in a couple of divisions.

Actively performs in BJJ (black belt), and also previously shone in judo, reaching the same level. After losing to Malykhin, he brought the bet on his victory 4 times, in his last fight to date, depriving Bo Nickal of his perfect record.

Strengths

Henry Hooft himself sharpens De Ridder's fists, which became even more noticeable in the fight with Bo. In other respects, Renier is already very good: tight clinches, where he actively uses his knees, confident transfers, a crushing submission game. And this is not counting good ground and pound.

Weaknesses

This will be his first meeting with a striker of this class. Yes, De Ridder is no match for him in the hands, plus he has only fought 5 rounds once, and Whittaker is full of experience in this format. So, it will be a serious test.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Rainier is also 34 years old, has not yet caused doubts in the major league, and right now he has the opportunity to secure a leading place in the title race in one step. The fighter is in good shape, so we expect him to perform in class.

Comparative analysis

A very interesting situation in terms of skills is unfolding in this confrontation. Rainier is better in everything on the ground, and Robert is a level higher in the stand-up. However, De Ridder will be noticeably larger, and he also has a heavy punch, which Whittaker has nothing to counter with on the ground.

"The Reaper" will act in a standard manner, move a lot, hit and go to a long distance, which he managed to do with everyone except Chimaev. It is in the interests of Renier to do everything possible to find the ideal moment after the ex-champion's initial approaches and meet his attack with a pass to the body or hook his leg.

Due to his anthropometry, the Dutchman should look confident in clinches, and Rob's takedown defense will falter sooner or later - they have 5 rounds to do so. The Australian will be much more cautious than in the previous fight, so there is a possibility of the fight going into the later rounds, but at the same time, there is a feeling that it will not last 25 minutes.

Robert Whittaker vs Rainier De Ridder Prediction

It was mentioned above that the fight could drag on, but there are doubts about the full distance. And here Total Over (2.5) by rounds looks like almost the most optimal bet. As for the probable winner, we have already seen everything in Robert's performance, and he may well please us with another neat victory with a couple of sharp moments. However, De Ridder is progressing at a furious pace, and his skills on the ground do not give rest, so the bet on the underdog looks very attractive here. Download 1xbet to your phone and place a bet on the favorite!

Prediction: Total Over (2.5) by rounds/Renier De Ridder wins