What Should Be Next for Roman Dolidze After UFC Vegas 109?

What Should Be Next for Roman Dolidze After UFC Vegas 109?3 days ago

Roman Dolidze came up short at UFC on ESPN 72, suffering a fourth-round submission loss to Anthony Hernandez. The Georgian contender had moments early, landing some sharp counters and defending takedowns, but struggled to deal with Hernandez’s relentless pace and grappling pressure. By Round 4, fatigue and damage had set in, leading to Hernandez trapping him against the cage and securing a bulldog choke. The loss dropped Dolidze to 15–4 and halted the momentum he built with recent wins over Marvin Vettori, Kevin Holland, and Anthony Smith.

A logical next step for Dolidze is a fight with Roman Kopylov. Both fighters are ranked in the middleweight top 15, coming off losses, and have an exciting, fan-friendly style. Kopylov is a dangerous striker with knockout power in all limbs, while Dolidze brings heavy hands, clinch strength, and dangerous submissions. This matchup would give Dolidze a chance to prove he can rebound against another skilled striker and keep his spot in the rankings, while Kopylov would look to reestablish himself as a contender by taking out a well-rounded veteran.

Dolidze vs. Kopylov has all the makings of a high-action fight that could headline a Fight Night or serve as a strong main card bout on a pay-per-view. Both men are aggressive finishers who rarely let a fight go quietly to the scorecards, and stylistically, this one promises fireworks from the opening horn.

Last Five Fights – Roman Dolidze:

1. Loss to Anthony Hernandez – Submission (bulldog choke), UFC on ESPN 72 (August 9, 2025)
2. Win over Marvin Vettori – Decision (unanimous), UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs. Dolidze 2 (March 15, 2025)
3. Win over Kevin Holland – TKO (corner stoppage), UFC 307 (October 5, 2024)
4. Win over Anthony Smith – Decision (unanimous), UFC 303 (June 29, 2024)
5. Loss to Nassourdine Imavov – Decision (majority), UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov (February 3, 2024)

Last Five Fights – Roman Kopylov:

1. Loss to Paulo Costa – Decision (unanimous), UFC 318 (July 19, 2025)
2. Win over Chris Curtis – TKO (head kick), UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Ribas 2 (January 11, 2025)
3. Win over César Almeida – Decision (split), UFC 302 (June 1, 2024)
4. Loss to Anthony Hernandez – Submission (rear-naked choke), UFC 298 (February 17, 2024)
5. Win over Josh Fremd – KO (punch to the body), UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2 (September 16, 2023)