Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker spoke about the fight with Ryan De Ridder, which will take place on June 26 at the UFC on ABC 9 tournament in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
“De Ridder is an awkward guy. He adheres to the same mentality, the same school of thought, according to which you just go forward and hit people, right? I understand that in this fight I should have the advantage, and I think this is a great harbinger of what I want to achieve in the future. His grappling style is also quite cool. He is in some way one of those guys who actually turns a lot of what he does into a weapon, constantly pressuring.
But I have a desire to make a statement in the next fight. I really want, you know, to send a message and pave my way to the title, so right now I’m focused on that,” Whittaker is quoted by MMA News.
