Reinier de Ridder has officially entered the world of the middleweight elite after a grueling battle against Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi.

In the UFC on ABC 9 main event Saturday, de Ridder (21-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) defeated former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (26-9 MMA, 17-7 UFC) over five rounds. The decision was a split set of 48-47 scorecards. The event took place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

SportsLine's Daniel Vithlani reveals his picks for the UFC Fight Night fight card from Etihad Arena at Yas Island in Yas West United Arab Emirates on Saturday

In the main event on July 26, Reinier de Ridder defeated Robert Whittaker to continue his undefeated run since signing to the UFC last year. It may not have been the statement performance that de Ridder was looking for, with some fans believing that Whittaker deserved the win, but it was still a huge result for the Dutchman.

On Saturday at UFC Abu Dhabi, de Ridder shares a card with another former ONE fighter when Marcus Buchecha makes his octagon debut after he endured a similarly frustrating run there. While he certainly doesn't wish anybody ill will,

Now 34, Whittaker has been with the UFC since 2012 and was its champion for nearly two full years from 2017 to 2019 before he was TKO'd by Israel Adesanya at UFC 243 in Melbourne,