De Ridder's Abu Dhabi victory was as close as it gets. Roughly half of all fans and media members scored it for Whittaker. Regardless, the result is in, and 'RDR' is a new challenger in the 185-pound division. This means accepting trash talk from his contemporaries.

Reinier de Ridder has officially entered the world of the middleweight elite after a grueling battle against Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi.

Reinier de Ridder might find himself in a UFC title fight in his next octagon appearance after picking up the biggest win of his career with a razor-close split decision win over former champ Robert Whittaker.