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Brett OkamotoMay 10, 2025, 01:20 PM ET
- Brett Okamoto has reported connected mixed martial arts and boxing astatine ESPN since 2010. He has covered each of the biggest events successful combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names specified arsenic Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was besides a shaper connected the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked backmost astatine the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives successful Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer successful his spare time.
Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker volition look to rebound from a high-profile nonaccomplishment successful his past appearance, erstwhile helium headlines UFC Fight Night connected July 26 against Reinier de Ridder.
UFC officials announced the 185-pound bout connected Saturday. The UFC Fight Night volition instrumentality spot astatine Etihad Arena successful Abu Dhabi.
Whittaker (26-8) is coming disconnected a first-round submission nonaccomplishment to Khamzat Chimaev successful October. The 34-year-old said helium suffered from teeth displacement successful the loss, aft Chimaev secured an aboriginal look crank aft an contiguous takedown. Whittaker had been approaching rubric contention anterior to the loss, with victories implicit Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov.
De Ridder (20-2), who goes by the nickname "RDR," is coming disconnected the biggest triumph of his vocation successful a second-round knockout of Bo Nickal past weekend. The Dutch contender is 3-0 since signing with the UFC past year. He's compiled those 3 victories successful a span of little than six months.
Current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis does not presently person his adjacent rubric defence set, but the UFC has already announced helium volition look Chimaev connected a day to beryllium determined.
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