UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. de Ridder
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | July 26, 2025 |
| Headquarters | Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates |
UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. de Ridder—also referred to as UFC on ABC 9'—was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 26, 2025. The competition took place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Background
This occasion represented the UFC's 21st event hosted in Abu Dhabi and its first return since UFC 308 held in October 2024.
The headline fight showcased a middleweight clash featuring former Middleweight Champion and winner of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes, Robert Whittaker, against former ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion Reinier de Ridder.
A featherweight bout was planned as a co-main event between Movsar Evloev and newcomer to the promotion Aaron Pico, scheduled for five rounds. This matchup was originally set for UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Morales in May but was canceled. However, Evloev withdrew due to injury less than two weeks before the event, leading to the bout's cancellation.
The card also featured a women's strawweight contest between Amanda Ribas and Tabatha Ricci, which had been rescheduled from UFC 318 just one week prior for reasons not publicly disclosed.
On the preliminary lineup, a flyweight fight was arranged between Asu Almabayev and Ramazan Temirov. Temirov was subsequently replaced by Jose Ochoa following a failed drug test in early July.
Results
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were awarded to the following fighters:
- Fight of the Night: Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Marc-André Barriault
- Performance of the Night: Muslim Salikhov and Steven Nguyen