A pair of
Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight contenders will get
two extra rounds to handle their business in March.
On Friday, the pairing of Marvin
Vettori (19-7-1) vs. Roman
Dolidze (14-3) 2 was posted on social media, as first reported
by MagicM.
The light heavyweight headliner was confirmed by
other outlets shortly thereafter, setting up a rematch for the
main attraction of
UFC Fight Night 254, also known as UFC Vegas 104. The two first
collided at UFC 286 in 2023, with the Italian getting the upper
hand and winning by close decision.
Since that matchup nearly two years ago, Vettori has entered the
cage just once, facing Jared
Cannonier in a potential title eliminator atop UFC on ESPN 47
and coming up short on the scorecards. That too took place in 2023,
so “The Italian Stallion” will be coming off a layoff of nearly 21
months in his return outing. Having alternated wins and losses in
his last six, Vettori has heard the final bell in seven bouts in a
row, and 13 of his last 14.
Five years older than his foe, Dolidze is coming into the contest
with a bit of momentum om his side. While 2024 started poorly for
the Georgian, dropping a majority decision to Nassourdine
Imavov, he bounced back with a 205-pound victory over Anthony
Smith and then returned to middleweight to pound on Kevin
Holland. While Vettori’s finish rate of late has been paltry,
“The Caucasian” celebrates 79% of his pro wins inside the
distance.
UFC Fight Night 254, also titled UFC Vegas 104, will be held inside
of the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on March 15. While the main attraction
is now on the books, the remainder of the main card is in flux.
Other marque matches that could receive higher billing include
Alexander
Hernandez vs. Kurt
Holobaugh at lightweight, and a light heavyweight collision of
Diyar
Nurgozhay vs. Brendson
Ribeiro.