Robert Whittaker: Robert Whittaker talks similarities between “awkward” Dricus du Plessis and Reinier de Ridder ahead of UFC Abu Dhabi

Robert Whittaker remains mystified by his TKO defeat to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290. The unorthodox style of the South African has proved too difficult to solve for any of Du Plessis' nine UFC opponents, as 'Stillknocks' remains undefeated in the octagon. Whittaker's upcoming clash will be against a similarly awkward style, as he faces Reinier de Ridder in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26.

De Ridder is a divisional newcomer, having made his promotional debut in November 2024 at UFC Vegas 100 against Gerald Meerschaert. The Dutchman won his debut bout, as well as his next two fights, most recently halting the hype train of Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines.

'The Reaper' appeared on the Submission Radio YouTube channel on May 15, where he discussed his upcoming clash against de Ridder. When asked if he felt that du Plessis shared similar characteristics to 'The Dutch Knight', he said:

"Definitely, he's an awkward guy. He's of the same mentality, the same school of thought where you just walk forward and punch people, right? I understand the headspace I've got to be in too for this fight. I think it is a great precursor to what I want to do moving forward."

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Check out Robert Whittaker discuss Dricus du Plessis and Reinier de Ridder below (8:40):

Robert Whittaker gets candid about how losing to Dricus du Plessis made him question "everything" in MMA

Robert Whittaker was stopped by Dricus du Plessis in Round 2 of their clash in 2023. Several fights later, du Plessis submitted Israel Adesanya to defend the middleweight title in the main event of UFC 305. In doing so, he became the first fighter ever to defeat both Whittaker and Adesanya via stoppage.

During an interview together in January, Whittaker and Adesanya reflected on their losses, labeling the South African as the "best s**t fighter in the world", indicating their confusion about how du Plessis remains successful.

In an interview taken on May 8, Whittaker broke down the UFC 315 main event which took place on May 10 between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena. Whittaker discussed Muhammad's striking skills, after making a claim that he had "hands like Canelo Alvarez", one of the world's best boxers.

'The Reaper' said:

"Honestly, Dricus has made me question everything about striking in MMA to date. If you're landing shots does it really matter what it looks like?... Belal's angles on his striking, his movements, they were crazy."

Check out Robert Whittaker refer to Dricus du Plessis below (5:25):

About the author

Liam is a MMA and Boxing writer at Sportskeeda. His journey into MMA journalism began with a high school diploma in 2017, but his passion for writing led him to diverse experiences, including internships in research and writing roles and accounting work.

Liam's fascination with MMA was sparked by Conor McGregor, with Dustin Poirier's bout against Dan Hooker in 2020 sealing his love for the sport. Poirier remains Liam's favorite fighter, whom he admires for his attitude, fighting style, and persona both inside and outside the cage. He is an advocate for the removal of the 12-6 elbow rule in MMA.

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Outside of work, Liam enjoys playing cricket, practising Brazilian jiu-jitsu, cooking, music, and reading.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi