UFC middleweight Roman Dolidze earned the biggest win of his career Saturday and followed his performance with a callout of two former champions.
Dolidze (15-3) defeated Marvin Vettori (19-7-1) via unanimous decision in the main event of a UFC Fight Night inside the Apex facility in Las Vegas. Dolidze suffered a decision loss to Vettori in March 2023, but Saturday's five-round rematch was a different story. The Georgian contender cruised to unanimous 49-46 scores on the judges' scorecards and immediately called for a ranked opponent.
"I'm in here with killers and monsters," Dolidze said. "I have to be ready for anything. This fight was very important for me mentally, to show I can go five hard rounds. I deserve a top-five fight, 100 percent. There are two realistic fights for me: [Robert] Whittaker and [Israel] Adesanya."
The 185-pound contest mirrored the initial meeting from two years ago, but with the roles reversed. In 2023, Vettori outlanded Dolidze 106-71 in total strikes in a three-round fight. Saturday, Dolidze outlanded 134-105. Dolidze hurt Vettori with a knee in the fourth round and stood his ground in the fifth, when Vettori looked to empty his tank in the final five minutes.
"In our first fight, I went hard just because of aggression," Dolidze said. "Now I am ready to control my aggression. That's important for me. I can't go hard and die in the first round. Now I can go hard for five rounds."
It's a significant setback for Vettori, who had not fought since June 2023 due to a shoulder injury. The 31-year-old changed camps ahead of Saturday, but still took consecutive losses for the first time in his career. His record fell to 3-4 in his past seven, whereas Dolidze improved to 7-2 in his past nine.
Vettori had his moments despite an awkward start in which he forgot his cup and was sent back to his dressing room to retrieve it. He wobbled Dolidze with a combination in the third round and spent the next moments chasing him around the Octagon. Dolidze would eventually recover, however, and Vettori noticeably eased up in an effort to manage his energy.
The layoff might have been an issue for Vettori, who appeared to fade late in the third and fourth rounds. He came out with a sense of urgency in the fifth, but Dolidze stayed confident and composed in the face of that urgency and went on to win the round convincingly. Dolidze, who is known primarily as a grappler, attempted only one takedown and it was unsuccessful.
Dolidze should jump up the UFC's middleweight rankings. He was ranked No. 12 going into Saturday, while Vettori was No. 8. Current champion Dricus Du Plessis is expected to defend his title against Khamzat Chimaev next, although the UFC has not announced a date for that matchup.