Marvin Vettori beat Roman Dolidze via unanimous decision at UFC 286. Vettori and Dolidze collided in the main card opener at the O2 Arena. The high-stakes battle between the top middleweights was competitive as expected. With the win, Vettori put an end to Dolidze’s winning streak and put his own name back in the winning column.
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A former title challenger, Marvin Vettori, came into the fight 3-2 in his last five. His only losses were to former champions Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker. With his last win coming off against Paulo Costa, a win at UFC 286 would help Vettori make a case for another title shot. 8-4-1 in the UFC, the 29-year-old is still one of the most promising young athletes in the promotion.
34-year-old Roman Dolidze claimed the #9 spot in the UFC middleweight rankings after an impressive stoppage win against Jack Hermansson in December 2022. The Georgian was on a 4-fight win streak with a 4-1 record in his last five.
Fans react to Vettori vs. Dolidze at UFC 286
Vettori and Dolidze went after it from the first bell. While the Georgian had a strong first round, the Italian responded in kind in the latter rounds. The middleweights matched each other punch for punch. However, the judges gave their nod to Vettori for a UD victory.
Fans and pros on Twitter had quite a few reactions to that middleweight slugfest.
Pressure busts pipes it’ll definitely do damage to a body Dolidze takin the fight to Vettori
— Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) March 18, 2023
If Vettori's skills matched his heart (and one day they might) he would be a force to be reckoned with. I like his spirit.#UFC286
— The People's MMA 🦈 (@ThePeoplesMMA) March 18, 2023
Dolidze is walking down and bullying Vettori. #UFC286
— Brian Campbell (@BCampbell) March 18, 2023
Vettori vs. Dolidze is a different kind of UFC – Ultimate Freakish Chins
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) March 18, 2023
VETTORI 30-27???? WHAT ARE THESE SCORECARDS TONIGHT???? #UFC286
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) March 18, 2023
Definitely not a 30-27… #UFC286
— Chase Hooper (@chase_hooper) March 18, 2023
Fair decision, but giving Vettori R1 is bad.
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) March 18, 2023
Who on EARTH scored it 30-27 for Marvin Vettori?! 29-28 is fine, but giving him that first round is rough #UFC286
— Shakiel Mahjouri (@Shak_Fu) March 18, 2023
I’ve seen better Decisions on Love After Lock-Up. #UFC286
— MMA Roasted (@MMARoasted) March 18, 2023
Damn I thought Dolidze won! What does @VerdictMMA think???
— Funky (@Benaskren) March 18, 2023
What are your thoughts on the UFC 286 bout between Vettori and Dolidze? How did you score the contest? What do you think is next for them? Let us know in the comments below.
