Outside Source
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.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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