Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker faced Reinier de Ridder in the main event of UFC on ABC 9 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. It was a solid back-and-forth affair in which Whittaker arguably had the bigger moments of the fight. However, after 25 minutes of action, de Ridder edged out a split decision with dueling 48-47 scores.

The latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the UFC rankings toward contention and others fall away.

Reinier de Ridder has come a long way in less than a year. Last summer, he left his longtime fight promotion, One Championship, where he had once been a double champion, reigning in both the 205-pound and 225-pound weight classes simultaneously.