Roman Dolidze defeats Marvin Vettori in middleweight rematch

Roman Dolidze secured a decision victory over Marvin Vettori in their middleweight rematch at UFC Vegas 104, held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Dolidze, who had lost to Vettori in 2023, improved on his previous performance by outlanding his opponent in significant strikes across five rounds.

In their first encounter, which was a three-round fight, Vettori landed 106 significant strikes compared to Dolidze’s 71.

However, in Saturday’s five-round bout, Dolidze made a comeback by landing 141 strikes to Vettori’s 111, showcasing his increased accuracy and power.

This performance helped him claim the win, avenging his earlier loss.

Dolidze’s victory extends his winning streak to three, while Vettori, who hadn’t fought since his loss to Jared Cannonier in June 2023, has now suffered two consecutive defeats.

Vettori, who had previously fought for the UFC middleweight title, now finds himself on a two-fight losing streak and with a 2-4 record since his 2021 title shot against Israel Adesanya.

Dolidze, who entered UFC Vegas 104 ranked No. 12 in the middleweight division, now looks set to rise in the rankings. Meanwhile, Vettori entered the fight as the No. 8 ranked fighter in the division.

In the co-main event, Chidi Njokuani stunned Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos with a knockout victory. Despite missing weight, Njokuani’s win is expected to propel him into the UFC’s welterweight top 15.

Chidi Njokuani earned a stoppage win over Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos in their welterweight clash at UFC Vegas 104, despite the fight being contested at a catchweight due to Njokuani missing weight.

From the start, Njokuani utilised his superior kicking game to maintain distance and control the pace of the fight. Dos Santos, known for his movement and agility, struggled to land clean strikes, managing only nine significant strikes in the first round.

Despite a short right hook from Dos Santos that briefly staggered Njokuani, the latter quickly regained his composure and ended the round strong with 23 significant strikes.

In the second round, Njokuani’s strategy of keeping Dos Santos at bay with his kicks continued to frustrate the Brazilian.

As Dos Santos became more aggressive in an attempt to close the distance, Njokuani timed his movements perfectly, grabbing Dos Santos in a Thai clinch and delivering a knee to the head that sent his opponent to the canvas. Njokuani followed up with several elbows on the ground, securing the knockout victory.