Among those weighing in are former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC) and former ONE Championship two-division titleholder Reinier de Ridder (19-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who meet in a five-round main event.

UFC Abu Dhabi will be headlined by a middleweight clash between former champion Robert Whittaker and rising contender Reinier de Ridder, a five-round headliner with serious title implications for late 2025 and beyond.

The UFC will host its first of two 2025 fight cards in Abu Dhabi this weekend, as Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder headline UFC Fight Night in Etihad Arena on Saturday (3 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN+, with prelims at noon on ESPN/ESPN+).