March 16, 2025 11:20 am ET
LAS VEGAS – Roman Dolidze has set his sights on a pair of former champions after rising from the UFC Fight Night 254 predominant occasion along with his hand raised.
Dolidze (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) avenged a key profession loss on Saturday when he outworked Marvin Vettori (19-7-1 MMA, 9-5-1 UFC) to a unanimous decision of their middleweight rematch on the UFC Apex. Within the octagon, the Georgian mentioned he’s searching for a prime 5 battle subsequent, and referred to as out ex-titleholders Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker.
After taking a while to digest the outcome, Dolidze went backstage to talk to reporters and doubled down on the callouts, explaining that he feels each matchups are logical given the state of the 185-pound division.
“Why not? All these guys want opponents,” Dolidze instructed MMA Junkie and different media members. “They should discover any person. They should have some opponent. I don’t care if will probably be any person else from prime 5, I’m additionally prepared. I don’t actually care a lot. However I mentioned extra practical fights as a result of each of them misplaced. That’s why I mentioned I don’t actually care who will probably be from the highest 5.
“(I’m) being practical of who is prepared and who wants opponent. There are some guys who actually should battle for title, like Caio (Borralho), like (Nassourdine) Imavov, additionally. There are a pair guys – good guys, and they’re ready and in line. If they are going to give me these guys, I’m prepared. However there are most practical fights and that’s why I mentioned these names.”
Adesanya (24-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) is at the moment sitting on a three-fight dropping skid with defeats to Sean Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis and most just lately, a second-round knockout vs. Imavov in February. Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC), in the meantime, is trying to bounce again from a 2024 Submission of the Year loss to Khamzat Chimaev in October.
Both battle coming to fruition can be a large alternative for Dolidze to place a signature win on his resume, but when he was given a alternative, thinks Adesanya brings extra worth to his resume.
“Each of those guys have good names,” Dolidze mentioned. “Extra essential for me is the identify. After all Adesanya was extra on the highest and it could be higher for me as a reputation to battle Adesanya, however Whittaker additionally was champion. He’s excellent fighter. It’s not about persona or one thing. It’s all about identify and high quality of opponent. Adesanya will in fact be higher if we’re speaking concerning the extra loud identify.”
For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC Fight Night 254.
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