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	<title>Robert Whittaker Archives - Cageside Press</title>
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	<title>Robert Whittaker Archives - Cageside Press</title>
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		<title>Robert Whittaker the Latest UFC Star Mulling Boxing Move</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2025/12/22/robert-whittaker-the-latest-ufc-star-mulling-boxing-move/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2025 19:34:06 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Boxing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anderson Silva]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Whittaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tyron Woodley]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=218863</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Maybe it was 50-year old Anderson Silva crushing Tyron Woodley in a battle of former UFC champs in the boxing ring over the weekend, but now it&#8217;s Robert Whittaker considering crossing over. In fact it very much was. Whittaker, affectionately known as &#8220;Bobby Knuckles&#8221; and actually nicknamed &#8220;The Reaper,&#8221; suggested a jump to the &#8220;Sweet Science&#8221; [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/12/22/robert-whittaker-the-latest-ufc-star-mulling-boxing-move/" data-wpel-link="internal">Robert Whittaker the Latest UFC Star Mulling Boxing Move</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Maybe it was 50-year old Anderson Silva crushing Tyron Woodley in a battle of former UFC champs in the boxing ring over the weekend, but now it&#8217;s Robert Whittaker considering crossing over.</p>
<p>In fact it very much was. Whittaker, affectionately known as &#8220;Bobby Knuckles&#8221; and actually nicknamed &#8220;The Reaper,&#8221; suggested a jump to the &#8220;Sweet Science&#8221; on his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtQtqfGjOzM" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">MMArcade Podcast</a> recently. The comments came in response to the Silva vs. Woodley fight, with Whittaker&#8217;s co-host noting that Woodley had a &#8220;rough go&#8221; in the match, which took place at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua undercard.</p>
<p>&#8220;Knocked him out in the second. That&#8217;s wild,&#8221; stated Whittaker, apparently in awe of Silva&#8217;s latest feat, and suggesting he could join Silva and Woodley in the boxing realm.</p>
<p>&#8220;I might be on the next card with him! It depends how much he&#8217;s getting paid. That was a big card, Netflix card. I&#8217;m sure the paycheck was considerable,&#8221; exclaimed Whittaker. &#8220;I think everyone likes to throw hands for a decent paycheck.&#8221;</p>
<p class="gnt_ar_b_p">&#8220;Yeah, it interests me for sure, certainly,&#8221; Whittaker stated later, asked if he would move to boxing after his UFC career wraps. &#8220;Yeah. It definitely interests me, especially like, not actually having to go through the boxing circuit the way a lot of guys did. If I can move straight up to these like, what are you going to call them? What sort of fights are these UFC guys that are coming into boxing doing? Those sort of fights. You know what I&#8217;m talking about.&#8221;</p>
<p class="gnt_ar_b_p">&#8220;I think there&#8217;s some money to be made there. I think it keep me fit. I think it&#8217;s definitely an aspect of the sport that I enjoy. I&#8217;ve always loved striking. So to move into that field would be cool. It would be a nice, fresh change.&#8221;</p>
<p>Whittaker is coming off back-to-back losses against Khamzat Chimaev (who went on to win the UFC&#8217;s 185lb title) and Reinier de Ridder. The de Ridder fight was Whittaker&#8217;s lone contest of 2025. He does not currently have a fight scheduled.</p>
<p>Numerous mixed martial artists have made the transition to boxing in recent years, to varying degrees of success. Those include Nate Diaz, Ben Askren, Vitor Belfort, Jose Aldo, Cris Cyborg, Silva, Woodley, and of course Conor McGregor.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/12/22/robert-whittaker-the-latest-ufc-star-mulling-boxing-move/" data-wpel-link="internal">Robert Whittaker the Latest UFC Star Mulling Boxing Move</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>Robert Whittaker: &#8220;I&#8217;m disappointed, but I&#8217;m not disheartened.&#8221;</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/29/robert-whittaker-im-disappointed-but-im-not-disheartened/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Eddie Law]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Jul 2025 22:20:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Whittaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC Abu Dhabi]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=211889</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker reacted to his loss at UFC Abu Dhabi to Reinier de Ridder on social media and he&#8217;s taking it in stride. &#8220;Hey everybody! Couple days since the fight. Thought I&#8217;d give yous all an update,&#8221; Whittaker said in the video. &#160; View this post on Instagram &#160; A post [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/29/robert-whittaker-im-disappointed-but-im-not-disheartened/" data-wpel-link="internal">Robert Whittaker: &#8220;I&#8217;m disappointed, but I&#8217;m not disheartened.&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker reacted to his loss at <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/26/ufc-abu-dhabi-reinier-de-ridder-wins-close-one-against-robert-whittaker/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC Abu Dhabi</a> to Reinier de Ridder on social media and he&#8217;s taking it in stride.</p>
<p>&#8220;Hey everybody! Couple days since the fight. Thought I&#8217;d give yous all an update,&#8221; Whittaker said in the video.</p>
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<p><script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>&#8220;I&#8217;m disappointed, but I&#8217;m not disheartened. There are a lot of things I liked about the fight. There are lot of things I didn&#8217;t.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/17398-robert-whittaker" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Whittaker</a> (26-9) lost the bout in the main event putting him on a two-fight losing skid.</p>
<p>&#8220;Congratulations to de Ridder. He had a particular game plan. He executed it well. It got him the win. It is what it is sometimes,&#8221; he continued.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m going to learn from this experience and move forward.&#8221;</p>
<p>As usual &#8216;The Reaper&#8217;, or &#8216;Bobby Knuckles&#8217; as fans have referred to the former champ as recently, kept things in perspective. He also let the fans know when he&#8217;d like to come back.</p>
<p>&#8220;This isn&#8217;t the end of Robert Whittaker. This is just another learning curve. Another speed bump,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m going to spend some time with my family now. Going to just rest, recover a little bit, and then hopefully get back on an Australian card. It&#8217;s been a while. I&#8217;m longing for it. It&#8217;s time.&#8221;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/29/robert-whittaker-im-disappointed-but-im-not-disheartened/" data-wpel-link="internal">Robert Whittaker: &#8220;I&#8217;m disappointed, but I&#8217;m not disheartened.&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>What&#8217;s Next: UFC Abu Dhabi Losers</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/28/whats-next-ufc-abu-dhabi-losers-2/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Bryson Hester]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jul 2025 14:05:22 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jose Ochoa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marc-Andre Barriault]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marcus McGhee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nikita Krylov]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Whittaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC Abu Dhabi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC on ABC 9]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=211870</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>UFC Abu Dhabi featured 12 bouts with five of them being split off to the main card. In the main event, former UFC middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker, was narrowly defeated by Reinier de Ridder, a man with less than a year of experience within the promotion. In the co-main event, Marcus McGhee, with less than [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/28/whats-next-ufc-abu-dhabi-losers-2/" data-wpel-link="internal">What&#8217;s Next: UFC Abu Dhabi Losers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>UFC Abu Dhabi featured 12 bouts with five of them being split off to the main card. In the main event, former UFC middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker, was narrowly defeated by Reinier de Ridder, a man with less than a year of experience within the promotion.</p>
<p>In the co-main event, Marcus McGhee, with less than two years with the UFC, unsuccessfully attempted to take out the former bantamweight champion in Petr Yan. Some aggressive matchmaking produced some losers that are all in unique and different situations due to their time with the promotion, age, and recent fight history.</p>
<h2>Robert Whittaker</h2>
<p>Robert Whittaker lost a split decision to <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/26/ufc-abu-dh" data-wpel-link="internal">Reinier de Ridder</a> in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday. The loss marks the first time the Whittaker has lost two bouts in a row since 2014. Whittaker lost to Court McGee and Stephen Thompson before electing to move up to 185 pounds one fight later. Robert has lost three of his last five fights though all losses have been too tough competition (Dricus Du Plessis, <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/05/13/ufc-319-gets-dricus-du-plessis-vs-khamzat-chimaev-as-headliner/" data-wpel-link="internal">Khamzat Chimaev</a>, Reinier de Ridder). Rob turns 35 in December but has a lot of miles on him because of all the wars he&#8217;s been in. Whittaker entered the bout ranked at #5, while his opponent was ranked at #13.</p>
<p>Whittaker could easily face the winner of #8 Roman Dolidze vs #9 Anthony Hernandez which is the main event for August 9. Timing would be great. Dolidze is on a three-fight win streak while Hernandez has won seven in a row. Matchups between either of these guys and Whittaker would make a lot of sense, giving the winner of this bout a former champ as a test during ascension (especially if the bout ends up being close).</p>
<p>On the other hand, a matchup against the <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/23/sean-strickland-benched-until-least-august-after-cage-incident/" data-wpel-link="internal">recently suspended</a> former champion, Sean Strickland, could present an interesting bout as well. It was also mentioned in a <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/02/10/whats-next-ufc-312-losers/" data-wpel-link="internal">previous edition of losers</a>. Strickland is also a former welterweight, like Rob, and a striker. They&#8217;ve never squared off before and this could be exactly what both men ordered with a dominant win propelling them right back towards elite competition. Dolidze or Hernandez maybe more realistic at this point, but all three men offer a great fight for Whittaker and fight fans.</p>
<p><em>Whittaker&#8217;s next fight: Roman Dolidze vs. Anthony Hernandez winner/ Sean Strickland?</em></p>
<h2>Marcus McGhee</h2>
<p>Marcus McGhee was masterfully out-struck on his way to a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/26/petr-yan-sails-past-marcus-mcghee-in-ufc-abu-dhabi-co-main-event/" data-wpel-link="internal">Petr Yan</a> in the co-main event on Saturday. It was McGhee&#8217;s first loss under the UFC promotional banner. Marcus is now 4-1 with the UFC since being signed in early 2023.</p>
<p>Marcus entered the fight ranked at #12 while his opponent was sitting at #3. At 35 years old, even though Marcus has just five fights in the UFC and is just 10-2 as a pro, time is of the essence. That said, McGhee should fight Bryce Mitchell next. Mitchell is an alum of <em>The Ultimate Fighter Season 27,</em> and at one point was a top-ranked featherweight. Bryce went 2-3 from 2022-2025 and was stopped in three defeats (Illia Topuria, Josh Emmett, Jean Silva). In the featured preliminary bout on Saturday, Mitchell dropped to the bantamweight division for the first time since his MMA debut and won an exhausting back-and-forth fight against Said Nurmagomedov.</p>
<p>Timing would make sense and this bout and would give both fighters a huge opportunity. Another chance at a big name for Marcus, who needs momentum fast. And for Bryce, a likely immediate shot at a top ten ranking in the bantamweight division. This fight could be an APEX main card or co-main event type fight. Classic striker vs grappler matchup.</p>
<p><em>McGhee&#8217;s next fight: Bryce Mitchell</em></p>
<h2>Marc-Andre Barriault</h2>
<p>Marc-Andre Barriault bloodied and battered his dynamic striking opponent in<a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/26/ufc-abu-dhabi-shara-bullet-bounces-back-in-action-packed-scrap-with-marc-andre-barriault/" data-wpel-link="internal"> Shara Magomedov</a>, on his way to a unanimous decision defeat in UFC Abu Dhabi&#8217;s Fight of the Night. Barriault has had some rough outcomes over the course of his last few fights, but he always comes prepared to turn in a competitive scrap.</p>
<p>Marc-Andre has won just one of his last five fights (against Bruno Silva). Barriault is 6-9, 1 NC with the <a href="http://ufc.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">UFC</a>, but thanks to his willingness to put it all on the line, he may not be on the hot seat just yet. But make no mistake, he&#8217;s on a short list.</p>
<p>With that in mind, Barriault should take on the loser of Gerald Meerschaert vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk. That fight is scheduled for August 16 so the timing would be perfect. Gerald has won just two of his last five fights and is currently riding a two-fight skid (Reinier de Ridder and Brad Tavares). Oleksiejczuk has also won just two of his last five though he was victorious in his most recent octagon appearance against<a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/04/29/sedriques-dumas-hit-with-felony-home-invasion-charge-ufc-314/" data-wpel-link="internal"> Sedriques Dumas</a> back in April. Michal actually also lost a Fight of the Night-winning, unanimous decision to Shara Magomedov in the bout before that, last August. This fight is right on the level that Marc-Andre needs right now and offers him a different look than the strikers he&#8217;s faced recently. This bout could be on the main card of a Fight Night card, but the loser could potentially be in danger of being cut with another loss.</p>
<p><em>Barriault&#8217;s next fight: Cesar Alemeida or Gerald Meerschaert vs Michal Oleksiejczuk loser?</em></p>
<h2>Jose Ochoa</h2>
<p>Jose Ochoa was thwarted via a unanimous decision defeat by <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/26/ufc-abu-dhabi-asu-almabayev-back-in-win-column-with-decision-over-jose-ochoa/" data-wpel-link="internal">Asu Almabayev</a> at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Ochoa entered the bout unranked, accepting a huge opportunity, taking on the #9 ranked Asu Almabayev. Asu was originally scheduled to take on #13 ranked Ramazan Temirov before Temirov withdrew. Ochoa was just 1-1 with the UFC heading into this one; he only had nine pro fights. He lost to Lone&#8217;er Kavanagh in his promotional debut. His last time out, he took just two rounds to finish Cody Durden. This was just too much, too soon.</p>
<p>Jose Ochoa&#8217;s next fight should be against the loser of Kevin Borjas vs. Sumudaerji. That fight goes down on August 23, so the timing isn&#8217;t the best, but it could still be realistic. Sumudaerji is 4-4 with the promotion and has won just one of his last four. That win actually came in his last time out, against Mitch Raposo back in April. Kevin Borjas is 2023 Contender Series product that is 1-2 with the UFC. Though his first loss did come via unanimous decision against the now surging Joshua Van. Borjas also was victorious in his last time out, defeating Ronaldo Rodriguez.</p>
<p>At this point in his UFC career, Jose could draw the winner or loser of this bout. It all just depends on how the fight goes. Could see this bout on the prelims of a PPV card. With the winner drawing a name, though not a ranked one.</p>
<p><em>Ochoa&#8217;s next fight: Kevin Borjas vs. Sumudaerji loser</em></p>
<h2>Nikita Krylov</h2>
<p><a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/26/ufc-abu-dhabi-bogdan-guskov-smashes-nikita-krylov-for-fourth-straight-finish/" data-wpel-link="internal">Bogdan Guskov</a> took just one round to finish Nikita Krylov to kick off the UFC Abu Dhabi main card on Saturday. Nikita entered the fight ranked at #10 within the light heavyweight division while his opponent was ranked at #13. Krylov is now on a two-fight skid- a stark contrast to his three-fight win streak just prior to that. And to make matters worse, Krylov has been finished in the opening round in the back-to-back losses (by Dominick Reyes and Bogdan Guskov)</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s keep with the recent theme of aggressive matchmaking on this one. Krylov&#8217;s next fight should be against Billy Elekana. Billy made his UFC debut back in January against Bogdan Guskov on short notice. Bogdan was originally supposed to fight Johnny Walker before the Brazilian fighter withdrew due to an injury. Elekana was submitted in the second round of that bout but put on a decent performance, all things considered.</p>
<p>Billy fought Contender Series product, Ibo Aslan, on the prelims Saturday. Elekana looked good in the unanimous decision victory over a four-fight UFC vet. This would be a good clash because although Nikita is 11-9 in the UFC, he&#8217;s just 33 years old. This fight still reads as a changing of the guard type of fight and could easily end quickly and violently.</p>
<p><em>Nikita&#8217;s next fight: Billy Elekana </em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/28/whats-next-ufc-abu-dhabi-losers-2/" data-wpel-link="internal">What&#8217;s Next: UFC Abu Dhabi Losers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>UFC Abu Dhabi: Reinier de Ridder Wins Close One Against Robert Whittaker</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/26/ufc-abu-dhabi-reinier-de-ridder-wins-close-one-against-robert-whittaker/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Staff]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Jul 2025 22:06:26 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Results & Recaps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reinier de Ridder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Whittaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC on BC 9]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=211789</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder closed out the show at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday, the latest Fight Night card to air on broadcast network ABC. Whittaker was hoping the bounce back to a devastating loss against Khamzat Chimaev, while de Ridder was 3-0 through three UFC assignments to date. Last time out, RDR [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/26/ufc-abu-dhabi-reinier-de-ridder-wins-close-one-against-robert-whittaker/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC Abu Dhabi: Reinier de Ridder Wins Close One Against Robert Whittaker</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder closed out the show at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday, the latest Fight Night card to air on broadcast network ABC.</p>
<p>Whittaker was hoping the bounce back to a devastating loss against <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/05/13/ufc-319-gets-dricus-du-plessis-vs-khamzat-chimaev-as-headliner/" data-wpel-link="internal">Khamzat Chimaev</a>, while de Ridder was 3-0 through three <a href="http://ufc.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">UFC</a> assignments to date. Last time out, RDR became the first to defeat Bo Nickal.</p>
<p>Early in Saturday&#8217;s headliner, de Ridder caught a kick, looking to take Whittaker down. Whittaker fought that off, showing solid balance, eventually pulling free. He went back on the hunt, de Ridder circling outside. &#8220;The Reaper&#8221; lunged in, but didn&#8217;t land. Reinier shot in from outside, and didn&#8217;t land the takedown. From the outside, however, Whittaker was having success, landing more than once. He easily stuffed the next takedown from RDR; de Ridder did close and grab onto Whittaker a moment later, taking the fight to the cage. He couldn&#8217;t keep it there, let alone land a takedown, however.</p>
<p>A couple of step in knees late in the round represented de Ridder&#8217;s best moments of the round, but the first five minutes belonged to Whittaker.</p>
<p>Round two saw an early takedown by de Ridder easily evaded by the former champ. Whittaker then connected. RDR fell back on his knee, his best attack, but his striking looked in slow motion in comparison to Whittaker. That knee did connect near the midway mark, followed by a couple of jabs. Then another knee. This time, RDR converted a takedown, getting on top and sliding through to half guard. Reinier landed shots to the body and head, and nearly moved to side control. Whittaker was bloodied, and de Ridder finished the frame on top.</p>
<p>A knee and a left hand hurt Whittaker early in round three, but he responded by knocking RDR down! Reinier managed to survive after Whittaker got on top, the former ONE double champ getting to his feet. He pressed Whittaker into the fence; a bloodied Whittaker looked to have slowed a step. Not slowed enough, however, that he couldn&#8217;t avoid a de Ridder takedown. Whittaker fired a combo, blocked, and de Ridder answered back. On RDR&#8217;s next attack, he was clipped on the way in, but he landed a takedown, getting on top with Whittaker damaged and fading just a little. Reinier looked to set up a choke, and wound up moving into half-guard.</p>
<p>For the second round in a row, de Ridder finished the round on top, dropping elbows this time. He then opened the fourth with another big knee, connecting with his hands after that. The game plan was still to take Whittaker down; when he did, however, Whittaker was able to reverse and nearly get in control. Instead, RDR scrambled to his feet. There, however, Whittaker still had an edge. At least when de Ridder&#8217;s knee wasn&#8217;t landing, which it did, followed by a right hand, in the final minute.</p>
<p>With the fight close, Robert Whittaker&#8217;s takedown defense was tested again in the fifth. By the midway mark of the round, he&#8217;d managed to both stay standing, and peel free of de Ridder. RDR, however, put him right back on the cage. Winning minutes with control time, perhaps, but not doing much damage, landing just some light shots to the body. Again, Whittaker get off the fence, 90 seconds or so  to work. A knee landed, partially anyway, for de Ridder. He moved in, firing another one. Down to a minute, and the fight still potentially up on the air. Whittaker broke free, and de Ridder shot in a couple times, half-heartedly, from the outside. With Whittaker pressing, de Ridder clinched, and finished the fight in control.</p>
<p>A close fight to the end, and the scorecards reflected that. Still, Reinier de Ridder was given the nod by two judges, improving to 4-0.</p>
<p><em><strong>Official Result: Reinier de Ridder def. Robert Whittaker by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)</strong></em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/26/ufc-abu-dhabi-reinier-de-ridder-wins-close-one-against-robert-whittaker/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC Abu Dhabi: Reinier de Ridder Wins Close One Against Robert Whittaker</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>UFC Abu Dhabi: Whittaker vs. de Ridder Weigh-In Results</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/25/ufc-abu-dhabi-whittaker-vs-de-ridder-weigh-in-results/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Staff]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 04:01:49 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reinier de Ridder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Whittaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC on ABC 9]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=211725</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker returns to action in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi, set to take on surging ex-ONE double champ Reinier de Ridder. RDR is a perfect 3-0 to start his UFC career and recently became the first man to defeat wrestling standout Bo Nickal. Yet &#8220;The Repear&#8221; is a different [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/25/ufc-abu-dhabi-whittaker-vs-de-ridder-weigh-in-results/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC Abu Dhabi: Whittaker vs. de Ridder Weigh-In Results</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker returns to action in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi, set to take on surging ex-<a href="http://onefc.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">ONE</a> double champ Reinier de Ridder.</p>
<p>RDR is a perfect 3-0 to start his UFC career and recently became the first man to defeat wrestling standout Bo Nickal. Yet &#8220;The Repear&#8221; is a different animal, and despite a crushing (in more ways than one) loss to<a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/05/13/ufc-319-gets-dricus-du-plessis-vs-khamzat-chimaev-as-headliner/" data-wpel-link="internal"> Khamzat Chimaev</a> in his last fight, Whittaker remains dangerous and a favourite in the fight.</p>
<p>What would have been the Abu Dhabi card&#8217;s co-main event is off, as Movsar Evloev withdrew from a five-round fight with the debuting Aaron Pico. Still, former bantamweight champ Petr Yan gets Marcu McGhee, while Shara Bullet takes on Canadian Marc-Andre Barriault in what should be a fun fight.</p>
<p><em>Weigh-ins for UFC Abu Dhabi take place Friday local time; full results can be found below.</em></p>
<h3>UFC Abu Dhabi: Whittaker vs. de Ridder Weigh-In Results</h3>
<p><strong>Main card</strong></p>
<p><em>Middleweight</em>: Robert Whittaker (185.5) vs. Reinier de Ridder (186)<br />
<em>Bantamweight</em>: Petr Yan (135.5) vs. Marcus McGhee (136)<br />
<em>Middleweight</em>: Shara Magomedov (186) vs. Marc-André Barriault (185)<br />
<em>Flyweight</em>: Asu Almabayev (126) vs. Jose Ochoa (125.5)<br />
<em>Light Heavyweight</em>: Nikita Krylov (205) vs. Bogdan Guskov (205)</p>
<p><strong>Preliminary card </strong></p>
<p><em>Bantamweight</em>: Bryce Mitchell (136) vs. Said Nurmagomedov (136)<br />
<em>Welterweight</em>: Muslim Salikhov (170.5) vs. Carlos Leal (170)<br />
<em>Bantamweight</em>: Davey Grant (136) vs. Da&#8217;Mon Blackshear (136)<br />
<em>Women&#8217;s Strawweight</em>: Amanda Ribas (116) vs. Tabatha Ricci (115)<br />
<em>Light Heavyweight</em>: İbo Aslan (204) vs. Billy Elekana (204.5)<br />
<em>Featherweight</em>: Mohammad Yahya (146) vs. Steven Nguyen (145.5)<br />
<em>Heavyweight</em>: Martin Buday (266) vs. Marcus Buchecha (254)</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/25/ufc-abu-dhabi-whittaker-vs-de-ridder-weigh-in-results/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC Abu Dhabi: Whittaker vs. de Ridder Weigh-In Results</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>UFC Abu Dhabi: Robert Whittaker Says RDR Has Been &#8220;On the Radar&#8221;</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/23/ufc-abu-dhabi-robert-whittaker-rdr-radar/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Jul 2025 03:07:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Whittaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC on ABC 9]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=211694</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>For ex-middleweight champ Robert Whittaker, ONE star Reinier de Ridder was on the radar once he arrived in the UFC and got off to a hot start. The pair will now collide at UFC Abu Dhabi, in this weekend&#8217;s five-round main event on broadcast network ABC. &#8220;He was on the radar, and obviously since the [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/23/ufc-abu-dhabi-robert-whittaker-rdr-radar/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC Abu Dhabi: Robert Whittaker Says RDR Has Been &#8220;On the Radar&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>For ex-middleweight champ Robert Whittaker, ONE star Reinier de Ridder was on the radar once he arrived in the UFC and got off to a hot start.</p>
<p>The pair will now collide at UFC Abu Dhabi, in this weekend&#8217;s five-round main event on broadcast network ABC.</p>
<p>&#8220;He was on the radar, and obviously since the fight got announced I&#8217;ve been doing my research like anybody else,&#8221; Whittaker (26-8) explained during Wednesday&#8217;s UFC Abu Dhabi media day. &#8220;And anyone that has done the research can see that he&#8217;s a well-accomplished fighter. He&#8217;s been around the track many times, fought for titles, had titles in other divisions.&#8221;</p>
<p>De Ridder held two belts in <a href="http://onefc.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">ONE Championship</a>, and started his career going 16-0. His only losses, which cost him ONE&#8217;s middleweight and light heavyweight belts, came to Russian Anatoly Malykhin.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s going to be a hard fight. He&#8217;s a veteran like myself, and I look forward to the test that comes Saturday,&#8221; Whittaker finished.</p>
<p>Some who perhaps either aren&#8217;t aware of him, or who are discounting de Ridder&#8217;s accomplishments in ONE, might see RDR moving from a win over <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/04/30/bo-nickal-ufc-des-moines-fun/" data-wpel-link="internal">Bo Nickal</a> to ex-champ Robert Whittaker as a big jump. Whittaker himself isn&#8217;t so sure.</p>
<p>&#8220;Not necessarily. Yes, to a degree, because I think I&#8217;m pretty good, but no because he&#8217;s had big fights, he&#8217;s been under the lights, he&#8217;s had title fights, five-rounders before. So he&#8217;s used to the things surrounding the fight, but he hasn&#8217;t fought anyone like me though.&#8221;</p>
<p>As for his game plan, a big part of it will be &#8220;landing my mitts,&#8221; stated Whittaker. &#8220;Getting my hands on him. That&#8217;s the plan. I&#8217;m fast, my striking I think is better than his. I just gotta find the holes and openings to close the night.&#8221;</p>
<p><em><strong>Watch the full UFC Abu Dhabi media day appearance by Reinier de Ridder above.</strong></em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/23/ufc-abu-dhabi-robert-whittaker-rdr-radar/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC Abu Dhabi: Robert Whittaker Says RDR Has Been &#8220;On the Radar&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Ultimate Fighter 33 Ep. 7: Don&#8217;t Fear the Reaper</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/08/the-ultimate-fighter-33-ep-7-dont-fear-the-reaper/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Staff]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 03:00:21 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Whittaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roybert Echerverria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Ultimate Fighter 33]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tumelo Manyamala]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=210932</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Dana White takes the TUF 33 crew to the Fight Pass Invitational to kick off episode 7 of The Ultimate Fighter 33, which gives the UFC chief a chance to plug the newly launched UFC BJJ. There&#8217;s some bonding between teammates and hot wing eating, but it&#8217;s mostly a commercial. Hey fight fans, watch out [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/08/the-ultimate-fighter-33-ep-7-dont-fear-the-reaper/" data-wpel-link="internal">The Ultimate Fighter 33 Ep. 7: Don&#8217;t Fear the Reaper</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dana White takes the TUF 33 crew to the Fight Pass Invitational to kick off episode 7 of <em>The Ultimate Fighter 33</em>, which gives the UFC chief a chance to plug the newly launched UFC BJJ.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s some bonding between teammates and hot wing eating, but it&#8217;s mostly a commercial. Hey fight fans, watch out for UFC BJJ. Then it&#8217;s off to the TUF house, where we get to learn about some of the personal story of Roybert Echerverria, who took part in protests in his native Venezuela in years past. &#8220;Nothing has changed, the government is still corrupt,&#8221; says Echerverria, who alleges that he and his family were followed by government agents. Echerverria trains at the GOATShed Academy, which has seen names like Jose &#8220;Shorty&#8221; Torres and Gillian Robertson come through.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s Tumelo Manyamala who will represent Team Cormier against Echerverria this week. &#8220;He needs to make him pay every time he enters,&#8221; D.C. says, adding that he believes Tumelo can finish the flyweight fight. Cormier however bemoans Manyamaia&#8217;s &#8220;reserved&#8221; personality, and hopes it takes a back seat when it comes time to fight. &#8220;I believe when people act out, they&#8217;re trying to convince themselves they&#8217;re good enough, they&#8217;re man enough,&#8221; Tumelo later counters.</p>
<p>Robert Whittaker, former middleweight champ, continues the trend of UFC stars past and present stopping by TUF 33 for visits. Whittaker being a TUF vet himself and going on to become champ is added motivation no doubt. Whittaker happens to be a former TUF coach as well, and as Dana White points out, remains a top 5 ranked middleweight. Whittaker gets in a little training with Team Sonnen, working on footwork and movement.</p>
<h3>The Ultimate Fighter 33: Tumelo Manyamala vs. Roybert Echerverria</h3>
<p>Roybert Echerverria has the experience advantage in his fight with Tumelo Manyamala, and early on, hems Tumelo in, backing him up to the fence. Manyamala circles along the fence line, finally bursting forward just over a minute in, but soon Echerverria is back to walking him down. Tumelo throws some low kicks, but is on the backfoot a bit too much. Coach Chael Sonnen, meanwhile, urges Echerverria to let his hands go then calls for a takedown. We get a competitive round from there, with Manyamala finding his rhythm, and Echerverria firing some spinning attacks.</p>
<p>Tumelo opens round two with some leg kicks; Echerverria goes after a takedown, and ends up tying things up along the fence, but only for a moment. No takedown to be had. A very scrappy couple of minutes follows, Echerverria struggles with his range initially and Tumelo might have better shot selection. Yet with half a round to go, Echerverria lands a key takedown. Manyamala gets back up, but Echerverria stays on him, and soon takes the back. More of a side mount, but he gets a rear-naked choke in, and shortly after, Tumelo taps!</p>
<p>Roybert Echerverria wins the fight via second round submission, moving on in the tournament! That&#8217;s the final flyweight quarterfinal for TUF 33. The final welterweight quarterfinal goes down next week.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/07/08/the-ultimate-fighter-33-ep-7-dont-fear-the-reaper/" data-wpel-link="internal">The Ultimate Fighter 33 Ep. 7: Don&#8217;t Fear the Reaper</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder Tops UFC Abu Dhabi in July</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2025/05/10/robert-whittaker-vs-reinier-de-ridder-tops-ufc-abu-dhabi-in-july/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 May 2025 17:33:25 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reinier de Ridder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Whittaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC on ABC 9]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=207866</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Reinier de Ridder is wasting no time making his way up the UFC middleweight division. The former ONE Championship double-champ, fresh off a win over Bo Nickal a week ago, has already booked his return. He&#8217;ll headline UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26 at the Etihad Arena, taking on former 185lb champ Robert Whittaker. UFC [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/05/10/robert-whittaker-vs-reinier-de-ridder-tops-ufc-abu-dhabi-in-july/" data-wpel-link="internal">Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder Tops UFC Abu Dhabi in July</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Reinier de Ridder is wasting no time making his way up the UFC middleweight division.</p>
<p>The former ONE Championship double-champ, fresh off a win over Bo Nickal a week ago, has already booked his return. He&#8217;ll headline UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26 at the Etihad Arena, taking on former 185lb champ Robert Whittaker.</p>
<p>UFC officials<a href="https://x.com/UFCEurope/status/1921235453778292845" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer"> announced the booking</a> on Saturday.</p>
<p>For de Ridder (20-2), it will mark his fifth fight in a year, and fourth fight under the UFC banner since November 2024, an impressive pace to say the least. &#8220;The Dutch Knight,&#8221; who lost back-to-back fights against Anatoly Malykhin to close out his ONE Championship career, bemoaned the lack of activity in that promotion, warning other fighters against signing there.</p>
<p>RDR has not had the same difficulty finding fights in the UFC however. He debuted opposite Gerald Meerschaert, submitting the veteran, then put away Kevin Holland with a rear-naked choke back in January. The Nickal fight, however, which served as the UFC Des Moines co-main event, really turned heads. Reinier de Ridder finished that one on the feet, setting up the finish with some nasty knees to the body- earning a Performance of the Night bonus in the process.</p>
<p>Robert Whittaker (26-8) has not competed since suffering a nasty loss at the hands of Khamzat Chimeav last October. That left &#8220;The Reaper&#8221; with some serious damage to his jaw area. The Australian former champ had been on a two-fight win streak prior to that setback, having defeated Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov.</p>
<p>Whittaker is ranked #5 in the middleweight division, while Reinier de Ridder sits at #13.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2025/05/10/robert-whittaker-vs-reinier-de-ridder-tops-ufc-abu-dhabi-in-july/" data-wpel-link="internal">Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder Tops UFC Abu Dhabi in July</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>What’s Next: UFC 308 Main Card Losers</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2024/10/28/whats-next-ufc-308-main-card-losers/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Mathis Desjardins]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Oct 2024 19:58:31 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aleksandar Rakic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Armen Petrosyan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dan Ige]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Max Holloway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Whittaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC 308]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=197431</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The yearly stops that the UFC makes every October in Abu Dhabi seemingly always produce some of the most memorable moments. From Khabib retiring in the cage to Glover Teixeira becoming the oldest first-time UFC champion and Islam Makhachev getting highlight-reel finishes, this time of the year is an exciting one for UFC fans. This [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2024/10/28/whats-next-ufc-308-main-card-losers/" data-wpel-link="internal">What’s Next: UFC 308 Main Card Losers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The yearly stops that the UFC makes every October in Abu Dhabi seemingly always produce some of the most memorable moments.</p>
<p>From Khabib retiring in the cage to Glover Teixeira becoming the oldest first-time UFC champion and Islam Makhachev getting highlight-reel finishes, this time of the year is an exciting one for UFC fans.</p>
<p>This year was no different, but while people will remember the big winners, there are still exciting things ahead for the fighters who were not victorious this past Saturday.</p>
<h1>Max Holloway</h1>
<p>At the post-fight press conference, <a href="https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/12723-max-holloway-lil-evil" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Holloway</a> said he would like to move up to lightweight and return around International Fight Week next summer. An eight to nine-month layoff and an easier weight cut are two things that should help him recover from such a brutal finish.</p>
<p>By then, the lightweight division could look very differently than it does right now, so it is hard to predict which matchup will make the most sense for <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2024/10/28/whats-next-ufc-308-main-card-winners/" data-wpel-link="internal">Holloway</a> next summer. Fans would not say no to a  third fight with Dustin Poirier or a rematch with Justin Gaethje. Fights with Dan Hooker, Renato Moicano or even Paddy Pimblett would also be fun. He is a fan favourite that can make any matchup exciting so there is no wrong answer.</p>
<p>In the end, the option that makes the most sense is a rematch with Charles Oliveira, win or lose against Michael Chandler next month. Holloway and Oliveira are two all-time greats who met earlier in their careers, but the fight lasted less than two minutes when Do Bronx suffered a micro-tear in his esophagus. We deserve a full fifteen, if not 25-minute version of that fight.</p>
<p>A rematch ten years in the making between two legends.</p>
<p><em>Holloway’s next fight: Charles Oliveira</em></p>
<h1>Robert Whittaker</h1>
<p>It was strange seeing Whittaker, who had never been submitted in his career at middleweight before, tap so quickly to Khamzat Chimaev’s neck crank. But a photo of his shattered jaw released a couple hours after the fight gave fans all the explanation they needed for that quick tap.</p>
<p>It is unclear how long The Reaper could be out with such a gnarly injury. Also, Chris Curtis is currently the only ranked middleweight with a fight scheduled, so Whittaker cannot even be projected the fight the winner of any fight booked right now.</p>
<p>That means the only fighter whose timeline should align with the Australian’s is the one who won in last week’s main event. Anthony Hernandez put on a beating on Michel Pereira, but that is still a fight that went over 20 minutes and should see him take some time off. Fluffy is used to relatively long layoffs as he has been averaging nearly nine months between fights during this 6-fight win streak he is on.</p>
<p><em>Whittaker’s next fight: Anthony Hernandez</em></p>
<h1>Aleksandar Rakic</h1>
<p>Rakic has only been facing top competition lately, but the fact of the matter is he has now lost three straight fights and his last win dates back to when Pay-Per-View events were still held at the UFC Apex. He is still clearly a very good light-heavyweight, but he needs a step back in competition.</p>
<p>There are only four fighters ranked between 6<sup>th</sup> and 15<sup>th</sup> who are not currently booked at 205 pounds. One of them is Khalil Rountree Jr. who needs some serious time off after the beating he took from Alex Pereira earlier this month. Then there is Johnny Walker who teased a move to heavyweight and Alonzo Menifield at number 15 on a two-fight skid with no case for fighting this far up the rankings.</p>
<p>That leaves Bogdan Guskov. He lost his debut on short notice against Volkan Oezdemir but has since responded with two straight knockout wins. He is a good test to see where Rakic is at right now in his career.</p>
<p><em>Rakic’s next fight: Bogdan Guskov</em></p>
<h1>Dan Ige</h1>
<p>Ige a very respected fighter who represents a tough test for anyone as shown by how much he pushed Lerone Murphy this weekend. However, being near the tail-end of the top 15 and now looking at consecutive losses, Ige’s next opponent should come outside the rankings.</p>
<p>Featherweight does not lack options when it comes to up-and-coming fighters on winning streaks looking to break into the rankings. Joanderson Brito, who was once on a five-fight finishing streak, kept calling for a fight with Ige but never got it. It would be poetic for the man who most recently beat him to actually get that matchup.</p>
<p>William Gomis, who won a controversial split decision over Brito in Paris a month ago, is now on a four-fight win streak. With the recent MMA boom happening in France, the UFC might look to push some of their French talents into the rankings.</p>
<p><em>Ige’s next fight: William Gomis</em></p>
<h1>Armen Petrosyan</h1>
<p>With the Armenian’s kickboxing background, it was not surprising to see him opt to strike with Shara Bullet, though he ultimately paid the price for it. The UFC picked him to fight Magomedov, because they could count on him not grappling with their new star. Shara Bullet is at his most fun when he is striking and that also rings true for Petrosyan.</p>
<p>Being on the wrong end of such a spectacular knockout should sideline Petrosyan for quite some time. By the time he is ready to comeback, timing should work out for him to face the winner of Abdul Razak Alhassan and Cesar Almeida, a fight that was announced for January 11<sup>th</sup> at the Apex. Whoever wins should make for a fun matchup with Petrosyan.</p>
<p><em>Petrosyan’s next fight: Winner of Alhassan/Almeida</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2024/10/28/whats-next-ufc-308-main-card-losers/" data-wpel-link="internal">What’s Next: UFC 308 Main Card Losers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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		<title>Robert Whittaker In Good Spirits Following Damage to Teeth, Jaw</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2024/10/27/robert-whittaker-in-good-spirits-following-damage-to-teeth-jaw/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 27 Oct 2024 15:23:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Whittaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC 308]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=197423</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker had a rough night at the office at UFC 308 on Saturday, and that is quite frankly a considerable understatement. Inside of a round, Whittaker was taken down and submitted by Khamzat Chimaev with a face crank, one that had &#8220;The Reaper&#8221; quickly tapping. Fans soon saw why, with [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2024/10/27/robert-whittaker-in-good-spirits-following-damage-to-teeth-jaw/" data-wpel-link="internal">Robert Whittaker In Good Spirits Following Damage to Teeth, Jaw</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker had a rough night at the office at UFC 308 on Saturday, and that is quite frankly a considerable understatement.</p>
<p>Inside of a round, Whittaker was taken down and submitted by Khamzat Chimaev with a face crank, one that had &#8220;The Reaper&#8221; quickly tapping. Fans soon saw why, with a photo making the rounds on social media showing Whittaker&#8217;s teeth caved in.</p>
<p>MMA is not for the faint of heart. While <a href="https://x.com/espnmma/status/1850303904266735896" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">ESPN initially reported that Whittaker&#8217;s jaw had been broken</a> by the submission hold, Cageside Press later confirmed that it was a dislocation. Robert Whittaker&#8217;s teeth, however, did cave in, which will require significant dental work.</p>
<p>On Sunday, Whittaker released a statement confirming that his jaw was fine, and adding that he plans to come back better following the setback.</p>
<p>&#8220;Thank you everyone for all the love and support. It’s a tough gig sometimes but that’s the business. Big congratulations to Khamzat, he was the better man tonight and that’s all there is to it,&#8221; Whittaker <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DBn3CD2z14W" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">wrote on social media</a>. &#8220;I felt great, everything was on point and I was ready. My jaw is good, but my teeth were moved in. It’s a good excuse to fix them properly now haha. I’m disappointed, but I come back better from every setback and every challenge so this is no different. I want to thank my team and everyone who supported me to get here. Time to go spend time with the family for a bit. Be back soon.&#8221;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2024/10/27/robert-whittaker-in-good-spirits-following-damage-to-teeth-jaw/" data-wpel-link="internal">Robert Whittaker In Good Spirits Following Damage to Teeth, Jaw</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
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