Reinier de Ridder (red gloves) blows the crowd a kiss after defeating Bo Nickal (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Wells Fargo Arena on May 3, 2025, in Des Moines.

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UFC Result Last Night: Reinier de Ridder Survives Knockdown To Continue His Win Streak, Bogdan Guskov Makes Short Work Of Nikita Krylov

UFC Abu Dhabi Results: Get to know about all the winners and losers for the UFC card last night at the Etihad Arena!

Reinier de Ridder (red gloves) blows the crowd a kiss after defeating Bo Nickal (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Wells Fargo Arena on May 3, 2025, in Des Moines.

Fight Island in Abu Dhabi has become synonymous with memorable UFC moments over the years. The Etihad Arena has witnessed some incredible battles since the promotion started hosting events there. From title fights to career defining moments, this venue consistently delivers excitement for fight fans worldwide. The atmosphere in Abu Dhabi creates something special that brings out the best in fighters.

Last night’s UFC Abu Dhabi card lived up to the venue’s reputation with several standout performances. The main event featured former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker facing the surging Reinier de Ridder in a crucial bout. Meanwhile, light heavyweight veteran Nikita Krylov looked to bounce back against rising contender Bogdan Guskov. All the fights carried significant implications for their respective divisions, setting the stage for an action packed evening of MMA!

UFC Abu Dhabi Main Card Results

The main event between Reinier de Ridder and Robert Whittaker delivered everything fans hoped for and more. De Ridder emerged victorious via split decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47), but the fight was far from one sided. The Dutch fighter’s size and range advantage seemed to trouble Whittaker early, but the former champion showed his championship heart by making crucial adjustments as the fight progressed.

RdR keeps climbing 😤

Reinier de Ridder takes the Split Decision in the #UFCAbuDhabi main event!

[ #InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi |@VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/KDqsaOWjEp
— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2025

The third round provided the most dramatic moment when Whittaker landed a massive overhand right that dropped de Ridder. For a moment, it looked like ‘The Reaper’ might have found the finish that would change everything. However, de Ridder showed incredible resilience, surviving the knockdown and continuing to battle through the remainder of the contest. After 25 grueling minutes, de Ridder collected his third win of the year and fourth victory since arriving in the UFC last November, potentially positioning himself for a championship opportunity.

The co-main event showcased Petr Yan’s technical brilliance against Marcus McGhee. Yan dominated the bout with clean, technical striking and his trademark trips, earning a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). The former champion looked sharp throughout, systematically breaking down McGhee with his superior technique and fight IQ. This cemented his position as one of the top contenders in the bantamweight division.

As good as advertised 🫡@PetrYanUFC gets the Unanimous Decision!

[ #InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/UzMOnxNipY
— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2025

Shara Magomedov provided fireworks in his clash with Marc-Andre Barriault. The Russian striker earned a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) in an entertaining battle. After a slow first round, the second round exploded when Barriault connected with a right hand that wobbled Magomedov and broke his nose, only for ‘The Pirate’ to respond with strong offense of his own. Magomedov used his range and movement effectively in the third round to secure the victory, improving to 5-1 in the UFC and 16-1 overall.

He's back in it 🤯@Shara_Bullet77 closes out Round 2 with momentum!

[ #UFCAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/7ZIhWfNDtb
— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2025

Asu Almabayev, despite being the underdog, showed the heart of a warrior and the experience he has gained over the years. After three rounds, he came out the winner via unanimous decision against Jose Ochoa.

HE'S THE REAL DEAL 🫡@BogdanCarevich just delivered the biggest win of his career so far at #UFCAbuDhabi!

[ #InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/AxB2X2TzTa
— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2025

The most shocking result came in the light heavyweight division where Bogdan Guskov scored a massive upset by knocking out Nikita Krylov with strikes at 4:18 of the first round. Guskov patiently waited for his opportunity, keeping his hands low and right hand cocked, before timing a perfect counter right hand that dropped the veteran and allowed him to secure the finish. This victory extended Guskov’s winning streak to four fights, all by finish.

UFC Abu Dhabi Preliminary Card Results

The preliminary card opened with several competitive battles that set the tone for the evening. The tone of the evening was set by mostly underdogs upsetting the favourites. Bryce Mitchell successfully made his bantamweight debut by defeating Said Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) in a grappling heavy affair. After getting dropped in the first round, ‘Thug Nasty’ bounced back by utilizing his superior grappling skills in rounds two and three, advancing to Nurmagomedov’s back in the final minute to seal the victory.

Winner at bantamweight ✅@ThugNastyMMA takes the Unanimous Decision at #UFCAbuDhabi!

[ #InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/y2iL926nSj
— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2025

Veteran Muslim Salikhov turned back the clock with a spectacular performance against Carlos Leal. The ‘King of Kung-Fu’ needed just 42 seconds to knock out Leal with a devastating overhand right counter. In a major upset, Davey Grant handed Da’Mon Blackshear a unanimous decision loss after the veteran controlled most of the fight.

OH MY GOODNESS 🤯

Muslim Salikhov with a STUNNING WALK OFF KO at #UFCAbuDhabi!

[ #InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/7NvqeLlc0x
— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2025

Another major upset was seen in the women’s strawweight division. Tabatha Ricci scored the biggest win of her career by stopping Amanda Ribas via TKO at 2:59 of the second round. Billy Elekana finally broke through for his first UFC victory, earning a unanimous decision win over Ibo Aslan in a surprisingly cautious affair. Both fighters showed unexpected hesitation after entering off recent losses, resulting in a low output battle that went the distance.

BABY SHARK DOES IT 🦈@TabathaRicci gets the TKO win and makes a STATEMENT at #UFCAbuDhabi!

[ #InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/SkVnDUCj2P
— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2025

Six knockdowns lead to a TKO victory! 👊@Steven_Win gets his first career UFC win in style!

[ #UFCAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/MU0g976ANY
— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2025

Steven Nguyen dominated Mohammad Yahya from the opening bell. He dropped Yahya five times in the first round alone. Despite showing spirit to start the second round, Yahya continued absorbing punishment until the fight was halted between rounds due to his severely swollen eye. Martin Buday spoiled Marcus Buchecha’s UFC debut by outworking the Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend over three rounds. This win extended Buday’s impressive UFC record to 7-1 and potentially earned him a shot at a top-10 opponent next.

(Image Credit: Lily Smith/The Register – Imagn Images)

Bogdan Guskov

Bryce Mitchell

Marcus McGhee

Muslim Salikhov

Nikita Krylov

Petr Yan

Reinier de Ridder

Robert Whittaker

Said Nurmagomedov

Shara Magomedov

UFC Abu Dhabi

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!