Roman Dolidze (born July 15, 1988) is a Georgian

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

currently competing in the Middleweight division for the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC). A professional competitor since 2016, Dolidze was the former World Warriors Fight Championship (WWFC) champion, ADCC Asia & Oceania champion, and Grappling FILA world champion. As of December 6, 2022, he is #8 in the UFC middleweight rankings.

Background

Dolidze was born on July 15, 1988, in

Batumi Batumi (; ka, ბათუმი ) is the second largest city of Georgia and the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, located on the coast of the Black Sea in Georgia's southwest. It is situated in a subtropical zone at the foot of t ...

Georgian SSR The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (Georgian SSR; ka, საქართველოს საბჭოთა სოციალისტური რესპუბლიკა, tr; russian: Грузинская Советская Соц� ...

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

(now

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

). Dolidze played soccer for eight years, the last three years of which spent as a professional goalkeeper. At the age of 20, he moved to

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

to study, and started training in

sambo , aka = Sombo (in English-speaking countries) , focus = Hybrid , country = Soviet Union , pioneers = Viktor Spiridonov, Vasili Oshchepkov, Anatoly Kharlampiev , famous_pract = List of Practitioners , oly ...

, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and eventually

grappling Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a position or causing injury. Grappling ...

. He went on to become the World Grappling Champion and the European Grappling Champion under United World Wrestling rules, as well as becoming the ADCC Asia & Oceania Champion at 99 kg (218 pounds) in 2016. This earned him a spot in the prestigious ADCC Worlds Tournament in 2017, however he was defeated in the first round. At age of 28, he started to train in MMA.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Dolidze made his MMA debut in 2016, where he fighting out of Odessa, Ukraine. After winning his debut fight against Alexander Kovbel, Dolidze would go on to amass a 4-0 record in the Ukrainian circuit, before being given the chance to fight Eder de Souza for the vacant WWFC Light Heavyweight title. He beat de Souza by a second-round knockout. He was scheduled to defend his title against Michał Pasternak at WWFC 13. Dolidze beat Pasternak by a third-round knockout.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Dolidze got signed to the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

but before he made his debut, he tested positive for clomiphene and its metabolites M1 and M2, as well as a long-term metabolite of

dehydrochlormethyltestosterone Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone (CDMT; brand name Oral Turinabol), also known as 4-chloro-17β-hydroxy17α-methylandrosta-1,4-dien-3-one, is an anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS). It is the 4-chloro-substituted derivative of metandienone (dehy ...

(DHCMT), 4-chloro-18-nor-17β-hydroxymethyl,17α-methyl-5α-androst-13-en-3α-ol (M3), as the result of an out-of-competition urine sample collected on March 12, 2019. He was suspended for one year due to this violation and he was eligible to fight in March 12, 2020. On September 3, 2020, Dolidze along with Ryan Benoit, were granted temporary licenses following special hearings by the

Nevada State Athletic Commission The Nevada State Athletic Commission (also known as the Nevada Athletic Commission or NSAC) regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers ...

after they had recurring issues with the long-term metabolite of Turinabol pulsing in their system in trace amounts, long after ingestion. Both Benoit and Dolidze have already been suspended by

United States Anti-Doping Agency The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA, ) is a non-profit, non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization and the national anti- doping organization (NADO) for the United States. To protect clean competition and the integrity of sport and prevent ...

(USADA), the UFC's anti-doping partner. Neither were facing a violation in Nevada, but the UFC wanted to get ahead of a potential issue. This was after USADA added a threshold for the presence of the M3 metabolite of DHCMT. If a test result is below 100 picograms per milliliter of the substance, it is no longer considered a violation, but an atypical finding, providing there is no evidence of new ingestion or performance-enhancing effects. Benoit and Dolidze were granted temporary licenses to compete beginning Dec. 1 following a six-month period of bimonthly testing by USADA. A bout between Khadis Ibragimov and Roman Dolidze was initially scheduled for the promotion's inaugural event in Kazakhstan planned a month prior. However, the fight was postponed after the card was moved to Las Vegas due to travel restrictions for both participants related to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. The pairing was left intact and eventually took place on July 19, 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2. Dolidze won the fight via technical knockout in round one after in process of high kick, Ibragimov tried to go for a takedown, during which Dolidze hit him with a knee, knocking Ibragimov out. Dolidze faced John Allan at UFC on ESPN: Hermansson vs. Vettori on December 5, 2020. He won the bout via split decision; however 19 out of 19 media members scored it a 30-27 for Dolidze. Dolidze, as a replacement for

Dricus du Plessis Dricus du Plessis (born 14 January 1994) is a South African professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He previously competed in the Middleweight division of ...

, faced

Trevin Giles Trevin Dewayne Giles (born August 6, 1992) is an American mixed martial artist (MMA). Giles currently competes in the welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Giles was born in San Antonio, Texas, and was a f ...

in his middleweight debut on March 20, 2021 at

UFC on ESPN 21 ''UFC on ESPN: Brunson vs. Holland'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 21'' and ''UFC Vegas 22'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 20, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, N ...

He lost the close bout via unanimous decision. Dolidze was scheduled to face Alessio Di Chirico on June 5, 2021 at UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai. However, Di Chirico pulled out of the contest in mid-May due to an injury. Di Chirico was replaced by Laureano Staropoli. In a lackluster fight where Dolidze mostly held Staropoli in the clinch, he won the fight via unanimous decision. Dolidze was scheduled to face

Eryk Anders Eryk Ryan Anders (born April 21, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former American football linebacker. He competes in the Middleweight division of the UFC. He played college football at the University of Alabama. Early ...

on November 13, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 197. However, Anders was pulled the event for undisclosed reasons, and he was replaced by

Kyle Daukaus Kyle Alexander Daukaus (; born February 27, 1993) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the younger brother of fellow UFC fighter Chris Daukaus. Background Dau ...

. In turn, the bout was scrapped due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

protocols related to Dolidze’s camp. Dolidze was scheduled to face

Brendan Allen Brendan Allen (born December 28, 1995) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional since 2015, he has also competed for the Legacy Fighting Alliance ...

, replacing

Brad Tavares Bradley Kaipo Sarbida Tavares (born December 21, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist. Tavares currently competes in the middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2007, Tavares foug ...

on December 4, 2021 at

UFC on ESPN 31 ''UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Aldo'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 31'' and ''UFC Vegas 44'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 4, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevad ...

. However, Dolidze was forced to pull from the bout due to complications in his recovery from COVID-19 and he was replaced by Chris Curtis. Dolidze was rescheduled to face

on June 18, 2022 at UFC on ESPN 37. He won the bout via knockout in round one. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award. Dolidze faced

Phil Hawes Phillip Nicholas Fitzgerald Hawes (born January 8, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Hawes started out as a standout wrestler, winning a national ...

on October 29, 2022, at

UFC Fight Night 213 ''UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Allen'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 213'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 71'' and ''UFC Vegas 63'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 29, 2022, at the UFC ...

. He won the fight via knockout in round one. Dolidze, replacing undisclosed injury

Derek Brunson Derek Brunson (born January 4, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of September 5, 2022, he is #5 in the UFC middleweight ran ...

, faced Jack Hermansson on December 3, 2022, at

UFC on ESPN 42 ''UFC on ESPN: Thompson vs. Holland'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 42'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 3, 2022, at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, United States. Backg ...

. He won the bout via ground and pound TKO in the second round. Dolidze is scheduled to face

Marvin Vettori Marvin Vettori (born September 20, 1993) is an Italian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2012, Vettori is a former Venator FC Wel ...

on March 18, 2023 at

UFC 286 ''UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3'' is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will take place on March 18, 2023, at The O2 Arena in London, England. Background A UFC Welterweight Championsh ...

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

*World Warriors Fight Championship ** WWFC Light Heavyweight Championship ***One successful title defense *

** Performance of the Night (One time)

Grappling

* ADCC Asia & Oceania Champion **2016 ADCC Asia trials (99 kg) * Grappling World Champion FILA

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 12–1 , Jack Hermansson , TKO (punches) , UFC on ESPN: Thompson vs. Holland , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:06 , Orlando, Florida, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 ,

, KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Allen , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:09 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 ,

, KO (knee and punches) , UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Emmett , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:13 ,

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Laureano Staropoli , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Brunson vs. Holland , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , John Allan , Decision (split) , UFC on ESPN: Hermansson vs. Vettori , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Khadis Ibragimov , TKO (knee and punches) , UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:15 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Michał Pasternak , KO (punch) , WWFC 13 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 ,

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Kyi ...

, Ukraine , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Eder de Souza , KO (punch) , WWFC 11 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:36 ,

, Ukraine , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Amirali Zhoroev , TKO (punches) , WWFC 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:34 ,

, Ukraine , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Ilyas Abdulaev , Submission (rear-naked choke) , WWFC 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:21 ,

, Ukraine , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Rémi Delcampe , Submission (heel hook) , WWFC: Cage Encounter 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:56 ,

, Ukraine , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Alexander Kovbel , Submission (heel hook) , RFP 53: West Fight 23 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:42 , Odessa, Ukraine ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dolidze, Roman 1988 births Living people Male mixed martial artists from Georgia (country) Sambo practitioners from Georgia (country) Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners from Georgia (country) Sportspeople from Batumi Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing sambo Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Expatriate sportspeople from Georgia (country) in Ukraine