Reinier de Ridder took home a split-decision victory Saturday over Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC Fight Night at Abu Dhabi.
De Ridder (21-2-0 MMA) earned a 48-47 margin from two judges, Ben Cartlidge and David Lethaby, while Mike Bell was the lone judge to give the edge to Whittaker (27-9-0 MMA) at 48-47.
Whittaker landed a big knockdown with a strike in the third round of the middleweight match, but de Ridder recovered and dominated the stat sheet. De Ridder landed 192 total strikes, while Whittaker connected on only 70. Additionally, de Ridder recorded two takedowns.
“I expected to take him down and choke him out,” de Ridder said. “He was amazing. So tough, so durable, heavy f--ing hands.”
The 34-year-old continues to rise up the ranks in the middleweight division, picking up his fourth straight UFC win and fifth MMA victory in a row.
Elsewhere on the main card, Bogdan Guskov (18-3-0 MMA) knocked out Nikita Krylov (30-11-0 MMA) 4:18 into the first round of their light heavyweight matchup. It is the fourth consecutive win by either knockout or submission for the Uzbekistani.
Petr Yan (19-5-0 MMA) defeated Marcus McGhee (10-2-0 MMA) by unanimous decision in a bantamweight clash. Yan outpaced his opponent in total strikes, significant strikes, control and takedowns.
In the middleweight match, Shara Magomedov (16-1-0 MMA) bounced back from his first professional loss, which came against Michael Page (23-3-0 MMA) in February, to win over Marc-Andre Barriault (17-10-0 MMA) by unanimous decision. Magomedov earned a 30-27 score from all three judges.
Flyweight competitor Asu Almabayev (22-3-0 MMA) also won by unanimous decision, defeating 24-year-old Peruvian Jose Ochoa (8-2-0 MMA). Ochoa battled, landing 118 total strikes, but Almabayev controlled the fight with seven takedowns.
In the prelims, Muslim Salikhov (22-5-0 MMA) landed the highlight of the night, knocking out opponent Carlos Leal (22-7-0 MMA) in only 42 seconds in their welterweight fight.
UFC Fight Night: Reinier de Ridder defeats Robert Whittaker by split decision
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UFC Fight Night: Reinier de Ridder defeats Robert Whittaker by split decision
- Recovering from a big knockdown in the third round, De Ridder landed 192 total strikes, while Whittaker connected on only 70
- The 34-year-old continues to rise up the ranks in the middleweight division, picking up his 4th straight UFC win and 5th MMA victory in a row
LIV Golf CEO says informal talks with PGA Tour ongoing
- LIV continues to have ‘constructive dialogue’ with OWGR on ranking points
NEW YORK: LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil has said informal conversations between the Saudi-funded circuit and the PGA Tour are continuing but any hope of ending the sport’s longest-running soap opera is not currently on the horizon.
O’Neil maintains regular contact with PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, a friend and former business-school classmate, but said their communication has not brought any meaningful progress toward finalizing the framework agreement the two circuits announced in June 2023 before either were in their current role.
“The reality is we continue to have conversations, and Brian and I do have a relationship — we text, we talk relatively regularly,” O’Neil told Reuters during an interview from LIV Golf’s New York office.
“We are not in any serious negotiation at this point. We both believe that there are opportunities to work together, and we both believe that there is plenty of space in golf. We at LIV Golf are intently focused on developing LIV Golf around the world.”
Trump’s involvement
LIV Golf, which held its inaugural event in June 2022, has shaken up the golf world like never before and, with the help of mega-money contracts and lucrative purses, has lured several top names from the PGA Tour into its stable of players.
LIV players include the likes of Bryson DeChambeau — considered golf’s greatest showman — and fellow major champions Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka.
After a year of acrimony, the PGA Tour, Europe-based DP World Tour and Saudi backers of LIV Golf announced in June 2023 a framework agreement to house their commercial operations in a new entity but have failed to reach a definitive agreement.
The divide has even captured the attention of US President Donald Trump, an avid golfer who was part of two meetings on the matter at the White House in February when there was optimism that the schism between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour would soon be resolved.
O’Neil said he still felt LIV Golf should “do something” with the PGA Tour but did not elaborate on what any sort of agreement would look like. He also did not give details on when, or if, the two sides plan to meet next, a stance he said he shared with Rolapp.
“We both agreed that we are going to keep all that stuff between the two of us,” said O’Neil. “If there is ever anything to report we’ll report it.”
World ranking points
When it comes to LIV’s ongoing bid for world ranking points, which are considered critical given the majors use them to help determine their fields, O’Neil is hopeful a decision on the matter could happen in the coming weeks.
LIV’s initial bid to have its players earn world ranking points was unanimously rejected by the Official World Golf Ranking in October 2023, with a key concern said to be limited access for players to join a circuit that, barring injury, featured the same players all season.
The OWGR also said at the time that LIV’s 54-hole format was an issue but one that was capable of being managed through an appropriate mathematical formula.
In June, LIV Golf renewed its pursuit of world ranking points by submitting an application with the OWGR, whose governing board includes non-voting Chairman Trevor Immelman, members from all four majors plus members of the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Participating Eligible Tours.
LIV has also since announced it will expand its tournament format to 72 holes in 2026.
“We continue to have constructive dialogue,” said O’Neil. “We are hoping to get something done by the turn of the calendar (year) and we are still on that timeline.
“I have a lot of time for Trevor Immelman, a lot of respect for him as a chairman and as a leader. I found him strong, demanding, tough at times, and I think really constructive.”
‘Bullish on the future’
After 11 months as CEO, O’Neil is upbeat about LIV’s future with the circuit on pace to sell out all premium hospitality seating for 2026 — when it will stage 14 events across 10 countries — after what it called a record-setting year in 2025.
“I’ve never had this much fun in a job. I’ve never been this challenged, this exhilarated, this bullish on the future,” said O’Neil.
“When I talk about being bullish on the future I am specifically referring to the stars, so Bryson, Jon Rahm ... and the emerging young talent we have. Seeing what’s actually happening here gives me hope.
“And then the commercial momentum and success has been like nothing I have seen in 30 years in this business.”
