The UFC is adding to their roster often, and this series will give you a rundown on what to expect from newcomers such as Roman Dolidze.
On January 18, light heavyweight Roman Dolidze announced on his Instagram that he signed to the UFC. As of now, there is no opponent or debut date announced.
Roman Dolidze
6’3″
Light Heavyweight
30-years-old
Odessa, Ukraine
RD Sport
6-0
3 KO/TKO
3 Submissions (2 Heel Hooks, Rear-Naked Choke)
Get to Know Roman Dolidze:
Born on July 15, 1988, Dolidze’s birthplace was Batumi, Georgia, but he would later move to Odessa, Ukraine. Before moving to Ukraine, Dolidze competed in soccer for eight years as a goalkeeper. At age 20, Dolidze came to Ukraine and got into combat sambo. 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 99kg (218 pounds) in 2016. This earned him a spot in the prestigious ADCC Worlds Tournament in 2017, which is only held once every two years. Unfortunately, he was defeated in the first round.
Dolidze started his MMA career very recently in December 2016, and in just two years of competition, he has a 6-0 record. In that span, he won the World Warriors Fighting Championships (WWFC) title, which is a promotion based out of Ukraine. WWFC has plenty of good up-and-coming talent, but Dolidze was the one named 2018’s Fighter of the Year for the promotion. Dolidze has also been cross-training and traveling to Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the Jackson-Wink academy. There he’s been sparring partners with UFC fighter Devin Clark and UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
How Will Roman Dolidze Fare in the UFC?
Being such an accomplished grappler, Dolidze has been testing himself on the feet his last few fights. He possesses a good, stiff jab, but I would like to see him double up on it more often. In his six bouts, he has yet to lose the striking exchanges, which is a great sign moving forward. The Georgia native has big power in his overhands and is quite unpredictable with the angles at which he throws them.
His strong suit is definitely on the mat, and his wrestling to get the fight there is solid. Dolidze is a grappling ace and is dangerous from everywhere. He has an aggressive submission attack and a methodical grappling base with dominant transitions. Overall, I really like this signing as there are few weaknesses in Dolidze, and I expect him to get better.
