If this upcoming middleweight matchup is not the main event, the
Ultimate Fighting Championship has something
big in store for the fans in December.
According to
ESPN on Friday, Roman
Dolidze (12-2) has been pulled from UFC 295. Initially slated
to face Derek
Brunson, Brunson withdrew from the bout and announced that he
was no longer under contract with the promotion. The middleweight
has had his Octagon return pushed from Nov. 11 to Dec. 2, where he
will now collide with Jared
Cannonier (17-6). The two 185ers will battle it out on the main
card ? but not the main attraction ? of an unnamed UFC
Fight Night card at a currently undetermined location.
Cannonier last prepared for competition back in September, where he
weighed in as the alternate for the Israel
Adesanya vs. Sean
Strickland title fight. Nearly tapped for the event due to an
incident involving Strickland and a fan during fight week,
Cannonier ended up watching on the sidelines and will not be
receiving the next crack at the belt. The former title challenger
has won his last two, in the form of decisions over Marvin
Vettori and Strickland in June and December, respectively.
Since dropping down to 185 pounds against David
Branch in 2018, the only two men to beat Cannonier have been
former champ Robert
Whittaker and sitting champion Adesanya.
Dolidze last competed in March, where he saw a four-fight stretch
that included three knockout victories grind to a halt at the hands
of Vettori. Like Cannonier, the Georgian initially started his
career as a heavyweight, only to eventually move down multiple
divisions. The first two outings for Dolidze in the Octagon came at
205 pounds, and he officially made his first cut to middleweight in
early 2021. His tenure in the division has been bookended by losses
to Trevin
Giles and Vettori, with three post-fight bonus-earning
victories along the way.