UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi did not disappoint. From brutal knockouts to bloody wars to MMA at the highest level, there isn’t much more you could ask for from a UFC card. Former champions taking on potential future champions, fan favorite fighters showcasing their skills, and young prospects trying to take the reins, and more in this intense and wildly entertaining card.
Recap of UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs de Ridder
#10 Nikita Krylov vs #13 Bogdan Guskov: Light Heavyweight
Bogdan Guskov lands a vicious right hand towards the end of round number one and then follows up with brutal ground and pound punches to secure the TKO victory against Nikita Krylov. Up until the knockout, the fight was relatively even with both fighters being patient and choosing their shots wisely. Both men landed strikes that caught the other’s attention and it seemed like a knockout was inevitable as the fight progressed and more strikes were landed. Nikita Krylov had recently been flatlined KO’d in his previous fight vs Dominic Reyes and his chin was questionable coming into this fight which Guskov took full advantage of. Guskov kept baiting Krylov to close the distance so he could land a counter right and Krylov fell right into the trap and suffered the consequence. This is the biggest win of Guskov’s career and he will move up in the light heavyweight ranking and likely will be in the top 10 soon.
#9 Asu Almabayev vs Jose Ochoa: Flyweight
Asu Almabayev and Jose Ochoa deliver an insanely high paced and entertaining fight that never seemed to slow down for all three rounds. Almabayev showcased his superior wrestling and grappling skills and did not show much interest in striking whatsoever. Not because he can’t strike but because his grappling is so good that he knows he can complete a takedown and gain a dominant position with ease. While it seemed like Almabayev dominated the fight and the 30-27 judges scorecards seemed to reflect that, it was not as one sided as one would think. Anytime Ochoa was taken down he would find himself back up to his feet quickly and could not be held down for long. He went for multiple submission attempts and came close a few times to locking them in while also landing great strikes from bottom position that kept Almabayev at bay. Ochoa never could get going with his striking though as Almabayev wasted no time going for another takedown as soon as the fight went back to the feet. Great performance from Almabayev who is looking forward to moving up in the rankings and working towards the belt. Ochoa was not ranked coming into this fight but with his performance against the #9 ranked flyweight, he also could find himself in the rankings soon.
Shara “Bullet” Magomedov vs Marc-Andre Barriault: Middleweight
In a violent and bloody war between Shara Magomedov and Marc-Andre Barriault, Magomedov prevails with the 30-27 decision win. Round one was slower paced with both men feeling each other out and finding their rhythm but Magomedov took the round by landing the bigger shots with more volume. The second round seemed to be all Magomedov who had the momentum mounting for him before he was caught with a huge right hand that stunned him and sent him flying back against the cage. Barriault tried to put the pressure on but Magomedov stated poised and defended well, using his muy thai clinch skills to land brutal elbows and knees which wobbled Barriault and swung the momentum right back to Magomedov. Magomodov was re-energized to start the third and ran away with the fight hi high volume of kicks, knees, and elbows. He even got Barriault to the ground after a slip while going for a knee and then started to rain down ground and pound, confirming his dominant victory. The fan favorite Magomedov is looking to burst back into the middleweight rankings and prove that he is a future champion.
#3 Petr Yan vss #12 Marcus McGhee: Bantamweight
Petr Yan showed why he is one of the best all around fighters on the planet with his 29-28 victory over Marcus Mcghee. The fight started off slow which isn’t a surprise when Yan is fighting as he likes to take the first round to collect data and figure his opponents out before applying the pressure. Fight was even in the striking in the first and both fighters landed big shots with McGhee even stunning Yan at the end of the first round. Once round two began though, Yan completely took over with his stellar boxing. Yan was relentless and used his combinations and body work to slowly overwhelm and tire McGhee out. McGhee did not stop fighting though and still put up a fight but it was just not enough to stop Yan. The cardio advantage was on Yan’s side as well as he is very used to fighting longer distances, being the former champion. McGhee tired as the fight went on and Yan looked as fresh as ever which gave him another edge in the fight. Yan wants to fight for the belt again and wants the current champion Merab Dvalishvili next to get back his title and may do just that as Merab fights in October at UFC 320.
#5 Robert Whittaker vs #13 Reinier de Ridder: Middleweight
Former ONE Championship two division champion Reinier de Ridder edges out the win against Robert Whittaker by split decision in a true back and forth, down-to-the-wire fight that could have gone either way. In the first round Whittaker came out strong and was by far the quicker man; he landed good strikes and put the pressure on Ridder who is not known for his striking. In the second round, Ridder started to gain traction with his length and specifically the use of his lunging knee to the body which hurt Whittaker multiple times and led to a takedown for Ridder where he controlled Whittaker for the rest of the round. The biggest moment in the fight came in round three however, after another knee and a good one two from Ridder, RDR rushed in and was hit with a massive overhand right from Whittaker that knocked him down and nearly finished him. Ridder stayed calm and didn’t let himself take too much damage before getting back and and taking Whittaker down and controlling him the rest of the round. Rounds four and five were all Ridder with him controlling Whittaker against the cage and in the clinch and racking up massive control time to secure the victory against the former champion in Whittaker. Ridder is a huge threat in the middleweight division and has already called out the best contenders to fight next. This performance proved he can hang with the best and seriously contend for the belt. His eyes will be set on the winner of Dricus Du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev who will compete for the middleweight championship on August 16th at UFC 319.
