On Saturday, UFC Abu Dhabi took place as MMA fans witnessed some interesting battles and surprising wins.
Not only did a couple of fighters rise in the rankings in their weight divisions, but many also claimed redemption from their previous fight.
The main event and co-main event’s aftermath put both winners in title contention.
However, with their victories being so close to call, it leaves the MMA community questioning if they deserve the opportunity.
Holland has a promising future title challenger
Reinier de Ridder had plenty at stake in his fight with Robert Whittaker in a high-contenders matchup.
A victory for RDR meant that he would rise eight places in the Middleweight rankings and possibly earn the next title shot.
Although it was always going to be a tough test with Whittaker aiming for redemption after his quick loss at UFC 308.
‘The Reaper’ was not victorious since his first-round knockout win against Ikram Aliskerov in Saudi Arabia.
The fight began with Whittaker’s quick striking before de Ridder asserted his dominance with some wrestling in the second round.
Round three was by far the most exciting as the Australian knocked down ‘RDR’ after he was initially stunned at the start of the round.
Both men were tired in the last two rounds as de Ridder powered through the battle with clinch control, landing as many punches and knees to the body as possible.
Once the fight went to the judges’ scorecards, it was unpredictable as to who would win, but de Ridder’s hand was raised.
After a razor-close split decision win against a former UFC Champion, the Dutchman may only need one more fight before claiming his title shot.
Yan eyes a return to the Bantamweight throne
The former UFC 135-pound champion was eager to equal his three-fight losing streak with a win in Abu Dhabi.
A third consecutive win would likely mean that he would face the winner of Dvalishvili vs Sandhagen at UFC 320.
With just four fights in the UFC, Marcus McGhee had a great chance to enter the top three in the Bantamweight rankings.
Even though the 35-year-old wasn’t the most experienced fighter in the UFC, there was still a chance for a remarkable opportunity.
‘The Maniac’ showed that he could contend with the Russian in the first round, thanks to his impressive boxing skills.
Petr Yan replied in the second round with some significant punches and stinging leg kicks.
Despite the fight being very close, it was clear that Yan did enough to win the battle after succeeding in the third round.
‘No Mercy’ maintained his position in the 135-pound division, guiding himself into a title shot in his next bout.
Everything else that happened at UFC Abu Dhabi
Sharaputdin Magomedov went the distance with Marc-Andre Barriault in a gruelling fight to win by unanimous decision. Both men were awarded a Fight of the Night bonus.
Asu Almabayev returned to the win column after defeating Jose Ochoa with a convincing unanimous decision win.
Bogdan Guskov maintained his 100% finish rate and rose up the 205-pound rankings after stopping Nikita Krylov by first-round TKO.
Bryce Mitchell excelled on his Bantamweight debut, coming back from a first-round knockdown to defeat Said Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision.
Muslim Salikhov knocked out Carlos Leal in just 42 seconds, earning a Performance of the Night bonus in impressive style.
Davey Grant earned a redeeming underdog victory to conquer Da’Mon Blackshear by unanimous decision.
Tabatha Ricci placed herself further up the Strawweight rankings after stopping Amanda Ribas by second-round TKO.
Billy Elekana earned his first UFC win after going the distance with Ibo Aslan to triumph by unanimous decision.
Steven Nguyen put on a very dominant display, stopping Mohammad Yahya by second-round TKO, earning six knockdowns, the most in a UFC fight.
Martin Buday increased his winning streak to three, going to the judges’ scorecards and winning by unanimous decision.
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