UFC Fight Night 193: Whittaker vs De Ridder

The key question heading into this one is pretty clear and familiar: can de Ridder get by the man who has steadily guarded the gates to contention, or will Whittaker turn back yet another hopeful?

A firm believer that the future is now, Marcus McGhee is unbeaten in the UFC, and he wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to step up and face a former world champion, even if that fighter is the fearsome and surging bantamweight known as “No Mercy,” Petr Yan.

Unbeaten in three appearances in Abu Dhabi, Shara “Bullet” used those victories to put himself on the international map, and with post-fight bonuses following his wins over Michael Oleksiejczuk and Armen Petrosyan, he became a dan favorite in the process.

Asu Almabayev brought a long winning streak into the UFC in 2023, and after wins over Ode’ Osbourne, CJ Vergara, Jose Johnson and Matheus Nicolau put him in the flyweight top 10, he has now won 17 of his last 18 bouts as he prepares to scrap with Peru’s Jose Ochoa.

Many were surprised when Uzbekistan’s Bogdan Guskov was matched up with Volkan Oezdemir in his UFC debut in 2023, but with three wins and three finishes, as well as two Performance of the Night bonuses, the 32-year-old silenced any doubters as he begins his trek to the top at 205 pounds.

After a successful run in the featherweight division that saw him score eight wins over the likes of Edson Barboza, Dan Ige and Kron Gracie, Arkansas’ Bryce Mitchell will now bring his world-class experience and stellar ground game to 135 pounds, starting with his matchup against Said Nurmagomedov.

Muslim Salikhov has put new life into his career since turning 40, as he decisioned Santiago Ponzinibbio and scored a Performance of the Night knockout of Song Kenan, and now, at 41, he’s ready to keep the momentum going when he attempts to make it 3-0 in Abu Dhabi as he takes on Carlos Leal.

The last male fighter remaining from season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter, England’s Davey Grant parlayed that time in the reality show spotlight into a nearly 12-year UFC career that has seen him compile five post-fight performance bonuses against the likes of Raphael Assuncao, Marlon Vera, Jonathan Martinez and Adrian Yanez.

Top 10 strawweights looking to make a statement to the rest of the division, Brazil’s Amanda Ribas and Tabatha Ricci have a lot on the line as they collide in the Octagon and try to move up the 115-pound ladder.

Aslan is one of the top finishers in the light heavyweight division, with 14 knockouts in 14 pro wins. And with two of those stoppages coming in the UFC against Anton Turkalj and Rafael Cerqueira, “The Last Ottoman” has made it clear that his power has traveled to the highest level of the sport.

A veteran of three appearances on Dana White’s Contender Series, the third time was the charm for Nguyen, and tonight, he will make his second UFC appearance in search of a big win against a hungry newcomer to the weight class who wants to send his local fans home happy.

Slovakia’s Martin Buday doesn’t make a lot of noise outside the Octagon, but when it’s time to put the four-ounce gloves on, he’s proven to be one of the top talents in the heavyweight division.