Pro fighters make their picks for Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder

In the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi, a middleweight bout goes down on Saturday as former champion Robert Whittaker takes on Reinier de Ridder. Heading into the bout, Whittaker is a -160 favorite, while the Dutch fighter is a +124 underdog on FanDuel.

Ahead of the scrap at UFC Abu Dhabi, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the intriguing middleweight bout. The majority of pros believe Whittaker will be able to keep the fight standing and get a win, and possibly even finish de Ridder at UFC Abu Dhabi.

BJPENN.com Fighter Picks Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder:

Marcus McGhee, UFC bantamweight: Whittaker will make this fight tough for de Ridder as he can control the fight at range and use his striking to win.

Steve Garcia, UFC featherweight: I’m going with Whittaker, I think he keeps it standing to get a decision win. I just think he’ll be a much better striker.

Austen Lane, UFC heavyweight: Reinier de Ridder has a lot of confidence, but I think Robert Whittaker is a different type of cat. With his style, I think Whittaker gets the win.

Max Griffin, UFC welterweight: de Ridder has been beating these guys, man. I think he gets the win here using his grappling to submit Whittaker like Khamzat did.

Eryk Anders, UFC middleweight: Whittaker is a crafty guy who’s hard to take down, and he’s quick on the feet. I think RDR will struggle to take him down, and Whittaker will win.

Drakkar Klose, UFC lightweight: I’m a Whittaker fan, so hopefully him. He has to keep it standing, which I think he will, and he’s a much better striker than de Ridder.

Davey Grant, UFC bantamweight: I’m a big Robert Whittaker fan, so I have to go with him, 100 percent.

***

Fighters picking Robert Whittaker: Marcus McGhee, Steve Garcia, Austen Lane, Eryk Anders, Drakkar Klose

Fighters picking Reinier de Ridder: Max Griffin,