UFC Fight Night Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder: Start time in India, USA, UK, Australia & more

By Abhijit Singh

Abhijit has been telling sports stories through his words at Khel Now since 2024. He covers Pro wrestling, MMA, Boxing & Formula 1.

Published at :July 26, 2025 at 7:28 PM

Modified at :August 9, 2025 at 1:17 PM

(Courtesy : UFC)

The MMA leader will deliver this week’s card from Abu Dhabi!

This Saturday, UFC returns to the iconic Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi for another electrifying Fight Night event on July 26, 2025, headlined by a pivotal middleweight clash between former champion Robert Whittaker and the surging Dutch submission specialist Reinier de Ridder.

The event marks UFC’s 21st visit to Abu Dhabi and first since UFC 308 in October 2024, continuing the promotion’s successful partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi.

The headlining bout presents a fascinating stylistic clash between two elite middleweights at different stages of their careers. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker will battle rising star and former ONE two-division Champion Reinier de Ridder.

The co-main event features former bantamweight champion Petr Yan against rising contender Marcus McGhee in what promises to be an explosive bantamweight clash . This matchup represents a classic veteran versus prospect scenario with significant ranking implications.

#UFCAbuDhabi is gonna be FUN 🤩[ 3pmET on ABC | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/WXlSQ9w7LV
— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2025

UFC Fight Night Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder: Start time

USA: 03 PM ET/12 PM CT (Saturday)
UK: 8 PM GMT (Saturday)
India: 12:30 AM IST (Sunday)
Canada: 2 PM ET (Sunday)
Australia: 05 AM AEST (Sunday)

UFC Fight Night Whittaker vs de Ridder: Main Card

Main Event: Robert Whittaker (#5) vs Reinier de Ridder (#12) – Middleweight
Co-Main Event: Petr Yan (#3) vs Marcus McGhee (#13) – Bantamweight
Shara Magomedov vs Marc-Andre Barriault – Middleweight
Asu Almabayev vs Jose Ochoa – Flyweight
Nikita Krylov vs Bogdan Guskov – Light Heavyweight

UFC Fight Night Whittaker vs de Ridder: Preliminary Card

Bryce Mitchell vs Said Nurmagomedov – Bantamweight
Muslim Salikhov vs Carlos Leal – Welterweight
Davey Grant vs Da’Mon Blackshear – Bantamweight
Amanda Ribas vs Tabatha Ricci – Women’s Strawweight
Ibo Aslan vs Billy Elekana – Light Heavyweight
Mohammad Yahya vs Steven Nguyen – Featherweight
Martin Buday vs Marcus Buchecha – Heavyweight

What time does UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi start in India?

The preliminary card begins at 9:30 PM IST on July 26, 2025, while the main card starts at 12:30 AM IST on July 27, 2025.

Is this Robert Whittaker’s first fight since his loss to Khamzat Chimaev?

No, Whittaker bounced back from his loss to Chimaev with a spectacular first-round knockout victory over Ikram Aliskerov at UFC on ABC in June 2024.

How can fans in India watch the event?

Indian fans can watch the complete event live on Sony Sports Network television channels and stream it on the SonyLiv platform.

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Abhijit Singh

Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.