UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder Odds & Picks

A fight between former middleweight champions Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder headlines a 12-fight ticket at UFC Fight Night on Saturday, July 26. A veteran inside the Octagon, Whittaker won the UFC middleweight strap with a decision over Yoel Romero in 2017. Two years later he lost a title fight to former two-time champion Israel Adesanya. Despite a loss in his most recent fight and splitting his last six bouts, Whittaker is currently the No. 5 ranked middleweight and a slight -155 favorite on the UFC betting odds. A middleweight and light heavyweight champ in the ONE Championship promotion, de Ridder has won all three of his UFC fights by stoppage, most recently a TKO of Bo Nickal in May. UFC Fight Night takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE and will be televised on ABC and ESPN.

UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder Odds

Oddsmakers are anticipating a close fight with the more experienced Whittaker a slight favorite. Though both fighters are the same age de Ridder has only three UFC bouts and 12 fewer MMA fights than Whittaker on his resume positioning him as a +126 underdog. A clash between ranked bantamweights leads into the main event with former strap holder Peter Yan a big favorite to take out once-defeated Marcus McGhee. With opening UFC odds of -650, Shara Magomedov is the biggest favorite on the fight card in his middleweight duel with Marc-Andre Barriault.

UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder Previews

Middleweight Bout

#5 Robert Whittaker (-155) vs. #13 Reinier de Ridder (+126)

A pro since 2009 and part of UFC since 2012, Whittaker has accumulated a lot of fights with a 26-8 record. Whittaker has all the tools and the added experience is a plus against a relative newbie to the UFC. Showing the ability to bounce back Whittaker will have to do it again. Last time out he lost by submission to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308. Whittaker lost consecutive fights just once with one of those being a controversial split decision. He’s gone toe-to-toe with some of the best fighters like Romero, Adesanya, Jared Cannonier and Dricus du Plessis holding his own to remain a fixture in the rankings.

With a record of 20-2 overall and 3-0 in the UFC, de Ridder is a formidable opponent. He has a 4-inch height advantage and a 4 ½ inch reach edge. His entry into the Octagon wasn’t supposed to be as easy as de Ridder makes it look, especially after dropping his last two bouts in the ONE promotion. He beat Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland by submission before knocking out undefeated Bo Nickal in his most recent fight.

Bantamweight Bout

#3 Peter Yan (-375) vs. #12 Marcus McGhee (+284)

A former bantamweight champion, all five of Yan’s losses have come against current or former division champs. In the span of just over a year he twice lost the belt to Aljamain Sterling. In 2021 Yan was DQ’d for an illegal knee and after beating Cory Sandhagen for the interim title, he lost a unification bout by split decision to Sterling in 2022. In his next two fights Yan lost to former champ Sean O’Malley and current champ Merab Dvalishvili. He won his last two fights by UD. McGhee has won his last six fights with five by stoppage and is making a charge up the division rankings. He is 4-0 since joining the UFC and a win over a prominent opponent will send him into the title picture. McGhee went the distance for the first time in his professional career last time scoring a UD over former XFL champ Jonathan Martinez. Averaging more than six significant strikes per minute, McGhee’s relentless style earned him the nickname “The Maniac.” Eight of McGhee’s 10 wins have come via KO, though the competition wasn’t nearly as good as it will be on Saturday.

UFC Fight Night Prime Pick

There are a number of bouts on the card and if you’re looking for ways to enhance your betting experience check out this betting guide. With few UFC fights under his belt I don’t think de Ridder is getting much respect. He’s a tactical fighter with a 70 percent submission rate and his height and reach advantage will allow him to get to Whittaker.