July 26, 2025

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Whittaker vs. de Ridder to Headline UFC Abu Dhabi Return

UFC Abu Dhabi returns to Etihad Arena on Saturday, July 26, with a marquee middleweight showdown as former champion Robert Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC) faces undefeated ONE alumnus Reinier de Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC). The event streams on ESPN+ with prelims at Noon ET and heads to ABC at 3 p.m. ET for the main card.

Key supporting bouts include:

Petr Yan vs. Marcus McGhee in bantamweight co-main

Shara Magomedov vs. Marc-Andre Barriault and Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa on the main card

Winner of Whittaker–de Ridder could vault into middleweight title contention.

Dvalishvili Aims for Historic Third Title Defense at UFC 320

Merab Dvalishvili will attempt to cement his status as one of the UFC’s all-time great bantamweight champions when he defends his belt against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320 on October 4 at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. A win would mark Dvalishvili’s third successful defense in a single calendar year—a feat achieved only six times before in UFC history.

• Dvalishvili unseated Sean O’Malley in September 2024 and followed up with wins over Umar Nurmagomedov and a rematch submission of O’Malley at UFC 316.
• The event is headlined by the light heavyweight rematch of Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira, who became the sixth man to reach this milestone last year.

If “The Machine” emerges victorious, he’ll join legends like Frank Shamrock, Tito Ortiz and Kamaru Usman in an exclusive title-defense club.

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Dan Hooker Calls Out Charles Oliveira for MSG Bout in November

Dan Hooker is officially back in the mix, issuing a social media challenge to former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for a November showdown at Madison Square Garden.

Hooker hasn’t fought since his August 2024 split-decision win over Mateusz Gamrot, sitting out all of 2025 after two hand surgeries derailed a March clash with Justin Gaethje and a backup opportunity at UFC 317. Oliveira, coming off a knockout defeat to Ilia Topuria for the vacant title this past June, could rebound against the battle-tested “Hangman” in a bout poised to electrify the lightweight ranks.

Tsarukyan Says Pimblett Doesn’t Deserve Top-10 Spot

Arman Tsarukyan has publicly dismissed Paddy Pimblett’s place in the UFC lightweight hierarchy, insisting the #9-ranked contender shouldn’t even crack the division’s top 10, let alone challenge for gold. Speaking on Mike Perry’s Overdogs Podcast, the Russian-Armenian argued Pimblett’s recent scalps—Michael Chandler, Bobby Green and Tony Ferguson—came against opponents on lengthy losing streaks.

Key Points:

Tsarukyan called to “delete Pimblett from the rankings.”

He cited Chandler’s three straight losses, Green’s three or four setbacks, and Ferguson’s eight defeats.

Meanwhile, Tsarukyan, who was UFC 317 backup, still needs to convince Dana White as Ilia Topuria balks at facing him for the vacant lightweight title.

Tsarukyan Warns Du Plessis Against $10K-per-Takedown Bet at UFC 319

A wager never made: Rumors have circulated that UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis offered Khamzat Chimaev $10,000 for every successful takedown ahead of their August 16 title fight in Chicago. Arman Tsarukyan, who trains alongside Chimaev, dismissed the claim and warned on the Overdogs Podcast that such a bet would likely leave the champion empty-handed.

Grappling stakes: Du Plessis owns a 50% takedown success and defense rate, averaging 2.55 takedowns and 0.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes. While Chimaev’s wrestling is widely regarded as elite, Tsarukyan cautions that landing and controlling “Stillknocks” won’t be as lucrative as du Plessis might hope.

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Whittaker vs. de Ridder Headlines UFC Abu Dhabi Return July 26 on ABC & ESPN+