First things first: Saturday’s Fight Night from the UAE will take place on Saturday afternoon in the United States. Robert Whittaker will face Renier De Ridder in the main UFC Betting event. In sum, there are three ranked matchups and eight ranked combatants to make for a quality card that is already drawing betting action. ABC will offer national television coverage, with ESPN+ adding additional coverage. Namely, Whittaker is ranked 5th in the UFC middleweight charts. At the same time, Reinier De Ridder is ranked 12th.
UFC Fight Night Whittaker vs. De Ridder Main Card
| Date and Time: | Saturday, July 26, 2025, 3 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Etihad Arena, Yas Bay Waterfront, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi |
| TV Coverage: | ABC, ESPN+ |
Middleweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Robert Whittaker | -162 |
| Renier De Ridder | +136 |
Robert Whittaker has an online betting career record of 27-8. In comparison, Reinier De Ridder is 20-2 for his career.
Of course, Robert Whittaker is best known as a former UFC middleweight champion. He is the first Australian to win a UFC championship. Of great concern is that Whittaker has been in an inconsistent stretch. To show, Whittaker has lost three of his most recent four bouts.
Last time out, Robert Whittaker lost a 1st-round submission to Khamzat Chimaev on October 26, 2024, in Abu Dhabi. That loss snapped a 2-bout winning streak by Whittaker. On June 22, 2024, Whittaker won a 1st-round knockout over Ikram Aliskerov in Riyadh. And then on February 17, 2024, Whittaker won a unanimous decision against Paulo Costa in Anaheim. Those two wins followed a 2nd-round TKO loss to Dricus du Plessis on July 8, 2023, in Las Vegas.
Late on Renier de Ridder is riding a 4-bout winning streak. He is coming off a 2nd-round TKO over Bo Nickal on May 3, 2025, in Des Moines. On January 18, 2025, de Ridder won a 1st-round submission over Kevin Holland in Inglewood. On November 9, 2024, de Ridder won a 3rd-round submission against Gerald Meerschaert in Las Vegas. And then on July 27, 2024, he won a 1st-round TKO against Magomedmurad in Abu Dhabi. Previously, de Ridder lost two straight bouts against Anatoly Malykhin.
Featherweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Movsar Evloev | TBD |
| Aaron Pico | TBD |
Overall, Movsar Evloev is 19-0 for his career. Aaron Pico will be making his UFC debut on Saturday.
Bantamweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Petr Yan | -400 |
| Marcus McGhee | +300 |
Petr Yan has a career record of 18-5 with the UFC Betting odds. By contrast, Marcus McGhee is 10-1 for his career.
Bantamweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Bryce Mitchell | -115 |
| Said Nurmagomedov | -105 |
In sum, Bryce Mitchell is 17-4 for his career record. Said Nurmagomedov is 18-4 for his career.
Middleweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Shara Magomedov | -700 |
| Marc-Andre Barriault | +450 |
Shara Magomedov has a career record of 15-1. In turn, Marc-Andre Barriault is 17-9 for his career mark.
Flyweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Asu Almabayev | -105 |
| Ramazan Temirov | -115 |
Asu Almabayev has a career record of 21-3. On the other hand, Ramazan Temirov stands at 19-3 for his career.
UFC Fight Night SBG Free Picks
On this occasion, the bout between Whittaker and de Ridder is eagerly anticipated. Although Whittaker has the more impressive resume, he has not been a reliable value. Especially as a favorite. Renier de Ridder is in better recent form and offers a good price.
UFC Fight Night SBG Best Bets: Renier de Ridder.