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Top-ranked middleweight contender avenges previous loss in UFC Vegas 104 main event

Marvin Vettori and Roman Dolidze met for the second time in a UFC Fight Night main event.

Drew Beaupre

(Zuffa LLC)

Top middleweight contender Marvin Vettori returned to action at UFC Vegas 104 for a headlining rematch with Roman Dolidze.

Dolidze Gets Revenge Against Vettori

Following a unanimous decision win over Dolidze at UFC 286, Vettori came up short in a UFC Fight Night main event against Jared Cannonier in what ended up being his last outing before a nearly two-year layoff.

UFC Vegas 104 live fight night results & highlights for Vettori vs. Dolidze 2

Dolidze found himself on a two-fight skid when he followed the Vettori fight with another loss to Nassourdine Imavov to kick off 2024, but later that year the 36-year-old picked up back-to-back wins against Anthony Smith and Kevin Holland.

Entering his second UFC Fight Night main event as the promotion's #12-ranked middleweight contender, Dolidze found himself as the underdog to the returning Vettori in what was the UFC's third-straight card in Las Vegas.

The opening striking exchanges were briefly halted by an accidental clash of heads, and while both men landed some impactful shots it was Vettori who found particular success with his leg kicks and established an early edge in the striking numbers.

Dolidze was warned ahead of the second round to not lead with his fingers but wasn't docked a point when he poked Vettori in the eye after less than a minute. The pair continued engaging in a straight-up kickboxing battle for the remainder of the round, and in the third frame Vettori appeared to briefly stagger Dolidze before the Georgian recovered.

Submission artist bloodies opponent, secures second kimura finish at UFC Vegas 104

A confident Dolidze took control of the center of the cage to start the championship rounds and grabbed a lead in significant strikes landed during the fourth frame. Vettori came into the final round with a significant amount of urgency, but it wasn't enough to avoid suffering a unanimous decision loss.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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