UFC 286: Marvin Vettori earns decision over Roman Dolidze (Video)

UFC 286: Marvin Vettori defeated Roman Dolidze.

Marvin Vettori defeated Roman Dolidze via decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27), at UFC 286 on Saturday, March 18, 2023, live from the O2 Arena in London, England.

"It was good. First time my mother came to watch me in the UFC. I couldn't lose in front of here... Yeah, I had to improve my game. I had to improve my kicking game... (Jared) Cannonier, (Alex) Pereira, (Israel) Adesanya. Line them up," said Vettori

Vettori opened the fight with two kicks to Dolidze's lead quad. Vettori landed a combination. Dolidze was cautious in the opening round as he looked to land his hook. Vettori landed another two-punch combo. Dolidze came forward and landed a few punches. A clash of heads led to a brief stoppage. Dolidze landed three big rights. The damage showed on Vettori's nose, which had turned red by the end of the first round.

Vettori continued to throw kicks to start the second round. Dolidze did little to defend the leg kicks as he continued to come forward. While Dolidze controlled the middle of the Octagon, Vettori was more successful landing kicks and punches. Dolidze changed level but had his takedown attempt stuffed.

Dolidze aggressively opened the final round, coming across the Octagon and applying pressure. Dolidze was able to push Vettori up against the fence and landed several strikes. Vettori struggled to generate much offense as Dolidze landed another strike. After blocking a head kick, Dolidze landed a combination that backed up Vettori against the fence again. Vettori was able to get out of danger but Dolidze continued to apply pressure. Vettori landed a counter left and both fighters followed up by landing another shot. Vettori landed another strike and an inside leg kick. Dolidze showed a strong chin as he continued to come forward. Vettori continued to attack Dolidze's legs with kicks.

Vettori entered UFC 286 as the fourth ranked middleweight after losing to Robert Whittaker in his last fight.

Dolidze entered as one of the middleweight division's fastest rising contenders. The Georgian fighter won his three previous fights by knockout, earning three performance bonuses.

UFC 286: Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3 took place on Saturday, March 18, 2023, live from the O2 Arena in London, England. Follow along with FanSided MMA for all your live results and highlights throughout fight week.