Former ONE Championship double champion Reinier de Ridder has a clear strategy for his July 26 UFC Abu Dhabi main event against Robert Whittaker: find the former champion's neck.
One thing we know is he really likes to jump in," de Ridder told MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn. "He's explosive from a distance. So, I think an important thing for me is to keep the pressure on him like I did with Bo. Get close, push him back, and implement my game, maybe hit him with a couple knees again, but mostly just see if I can find his neck.
The Dutch submission specialist, who earned 13 of his 20 victories via tapout, believes Whittaker's aggressive striking style may create openings for his grappling attack.
Since joining the UFC less than a year ago, "RDR" has compiled a perfect 3-0 record with wins over Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland, and most recently, a stunning knockout of the previously undefeated Bo Nickal.
Despite Whittaker's championship pedigree, de Ridder isn't intimidated.
Robert is an interesting one to prepare for because there's not a lot of guys with his style in the standup," he explained. "Very explosive, likes to leap in, hands low, good punches, good kicks.
With UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis set to defend against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in August, de Ridder knows what's at stake. A victory over the fifth-ranked Whittaker would likely catapult him into title contention against the winner.