Whittaker looked to pressure early on, but de Ridder attempted to tie him up in the clinch and limit Whittaker's offense with takedown attempts. Whittaker, however, worked his way out and worked his striking during the first five-minute frame. Whittaker, in fact, busted de Ridder open with one of his strikes.

Whittaker looked to continue this strategy during the second round, and while it worked at first, a knee did damage to Whittaker. Whittaker was hurt during the round, and de Ridder managed to take the former champion down and control the action on the ground.

Both men appeared fatigued during the fourth round, but de Ridder did pressure Whittaker and controlled with his grappling expertise, landing in a notable overhand late in the frame. De Ridder seemed to just use his grappling to nullify Whittaker's offense in the fifth round, but it was enough to score him the split decision.

Reinier de Ridder Earns Split Decision Over Robert Whittaker In UFC Abu Dhabi Main Event

De Ridder is now 4-0 in the UFC, having scored finishes of Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland, and Bo Nickal prior to tonight.

Whittaker has now lost two straight and three of his last five. This marked his first fight since his loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308.