UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs. Dolidze 2 Preview and Predictions

Staying home in Las Vegas, the UFC hosts another fight night inside the Apex with middleweight contenders on the marquee, as UFC Vegas 104 hits the stage on Saturday, Mar. 15.

Just a couple short years ago, Marvin Vettori and Roman Dolidze met inside the Octagon with Vettori emerging with a somewhat controversial decision. They run it back this weekend over five rounds in a division that isn’t exactly deep on legitimate title threats. A victory by either man could put them just one win away from a crack at the belt.

Dolidze has put together two wins in a row, most recently stopping Kevin Holland at the end of the first round. He looked tremendous in that fight, and evening the score with Vettori would be a major feather in his cap. Vettori has gone the distance in every fight since 2020. He is only 31 years old and should be in the peak of his career, but he hasn’t looked to show much improvement recently. If he can pull off a good showing, and a dominant win over Dolidze, it might just be what he needs to start rebuilding his momentum and potentially move towards another title run.

The co-main event is a welterweight clash between Elizeu Zaleski and Chidi Njokuani. These two are can’t-miss fighters. Zaleski’s nickname is “Capoeira” because of his background in the dance-fighting discipline, and he can seemingly land strikes from angles and distances that most fighters simply don’t have the ability to land. Njokuani hits like a light heavyweight. One punch from “Bang Bang” can send any opponent into the land of wind and ghosts. Don’t blink during this co-main event.

The event airs live in its entirety on ESPN+ starting at 4 p.m. ET. Combat Press writers Andrew Sumian and Matt Petela preview the action in this week’s Toe-toe-Toe.

Roman Dolidze has put together back-to-back wins; does he make it three straight victories this weekend?

Sumian: The fact that this fight is happening is all you need to know about the current state of the middleweight division. These two fought less than two years ago, and it was underwhelming to say the least. Not sure what the logic is matching these two up again, unless it’s due to the fact that the middleweight division is simply low on options. The first time these two met, Marvin Vettori was able to win a unanimous decision by utilizing his control, aggression and overall experience. The biggest question will be: what does the winner of this fight gain?

Roman Dolidze is certainly a talented fighter. He hasn’t necessarily fought the stiffest competition, but his resume is far from subpar. The No. 12 middleweight has mixed it up with the likes of Kevin Holland, Nassourdine Imavov, and Jack Hermansson and is currently on a two-fight winning streak. A win over Vettori should launch Dolidze into the top 10 and see him come face-to-face with elite competition sooner rather than later. The one thing going against the Georgia native is time. He is 36 years old and certainly got a late start in his UFC career. A win over Vettori is a must, if he hopes to keep climbing the rankings and make the most out of his UFC journey.

I am not sure what to make of Vettori at this point in his career. There was a point in time where the “Italian Dream” was a fourth-ranked middleweight and continued to impress with every performance. Since losing to Israel Adesanya in 2021 for the second time, he has only competed four times and compiled a 2-2 record. His most recent outing was a one-sided beatdown at the hands of Jared Cannonier in Jun. 2023. Vettori looked visibly slower and worn compared to his run between 2019 and 2021. Currently, the middleweight division is extremely top-heavy, and it is hard to imagine Vettori getting another shot at the title, despite only being 31 years old. A dominant and decisive win over Dolidze can certainly be the right step in getting to the top tier of the 185-pound division again.

Unfortunately, I just don’t see a world where this fight is going to be fun. Vettori and Dolidze have gone the distance seven out of eight times, when combining their respective last four fights. Based on what I have seen lately, I am going with Dolidze via unanimous decision. He will be the more confident fighter and use his strength and most recent improvements to win an uneventful, yet clear, decision.

Petela: Yes, to answer the question, Roman Dolidze will win his third straight fight. Something happened to Marvin Vettori. Maybe it was losing to Israel Adesanya for a second time that made him feel like he was never going to be champion. Maybe it was something else. But, he hasn’t seemed to make any improvements in his game over the past couple years.

The opposite is true for Dolidze. He is a bit older, but he shows improvements each and every time he fights – except for that weird last-minute quasi-sparring match he had with Anthony Smith. While Vettori has stagnated, Dolidze will be a better fighter than he was in the first meeting. Vettori is certainly a tough, durable fighter, and, while I may question his mental state, I don’t question his heart once he steps into the cage. This one will go the distance, but it will be a lopsided decision win for Dolidze.

Chidi Njokuani hasn’t finished a fight since 2022; can he live up to his “Bang Bang” nickname and knock out Elizeu Zaleski?

Petela: This fight is the most interesting fight on the fight card. When I read the name Elizeu Zaleski, it immediately makes me think of his fight against Benoit Saint-Denis. The offensive output in that fight was absolutely insane. Zaleski landed copious strikes that should have ended the fight, but Saint-Denis just wouldn’t go away. Zaleski could have taken his foot off the gas and coasted to a win, but he chose to keep pressing forward and, many times, put himself in harm’s way to try and get the finish. Ultimately, the fight went the full 15 minutes, but each minute was an intense battle. If he fights the same way against Chidi Njokuani, we are in for either an absolute slobber knocker or an insane knockout. Njokuani hits like he has cinder blocks for hands. Each time the pair engages, the potential is there for catastrophic violence. I have a gut feeling that Njokuani ends up getting the finish, but the only thing that would surprise me is if this fight was boring. As a disclaimer, I said the same thing about Paul Daley vs. Michael Page and Derrick Lewis vs. Francis Ngannou, and we saw how those fights turned out.

Sumian: It baffles me that the UFC could not find a co-main event better than this. Njokuani is 2-3 in his last five UFC fights, and Zaleksi is 3-1-1 in his last five UFC fights. Neither combatant has looked rather impressive in their most recent outings, despite Zaleksi pulling off a TKO victory over Zach Sroggin in Jun. 2024. I am not sure if Njokuani will get the knockout, but he will defeat Zaleksi. Njokuani should be able to use his height, reach, and youth to turn this into a kickboxing match and outpoint the Brazilian handedly.

What one fighter’s UFC career is on the ropes at this event?

Sumian: Alexander Hernandez needs something, and fast. At one point in time, he was one of the most anticipated lightweight prospects in the division. Unfortunately, the last few years have not been kind to him. He has compiled a 2-4 record in his last six UFC outings, and his wins weren’t necessarily convincing or dominant victories. Hernandez is only 32 years old and should technically still be in the prime of his fighting career. I truly believe he needs an electric win in order to stick around.

Petela: Carlos Vera. He is officially 0-1 inside the UFC and lost his lone exhibition bout on The Ultimate Fighter. He needs a win to give the UFC any reason to keep him on the roster.

Which fight is the sleeper match-up on this card?

Petela: Oof. There aren’t many fights on this card, outside of the main and co-main that have me excited. I’ll take a flyer and say the women’s strawweight fight between Sam Hughes and Stephanie Luciano will surprise me and turn into a great contest. They are both gritty fighters, and, sometimes, that can mean a snoozefest. But, sometimes, you catch lightning in a bottle, which is what I’m hoping for on Saturday.

Sumian: Cody Gibson vs. Da’Mon Blackshear has the potential to be a fun scrap. There are not a lot of options to choose from on this card. Both of these guys can finish their opponents and are scrappy bantamweights.

Who takes home the “Performance of the Night” honors?

Sumian: Kevin Vallejos. The UFC newcomer is taking on Seung Woo Choi. Vallejos has 10 wins by way of knockout, and Choi has finished by strikes in two of his last three fights. Vallejos will make a splash on Saturday and officially announce himself to UFC world with an impressive knockout finish.

Petela: Waldo Cortes-Acosta. He broke into the UFC with a devastating knockout of Lukasz Brzeski, but, since then, he has been forced to go the distance in all of his fights. The crushing Dominican boxer gets his second UFC knockout this weekend and earns some extra money for his troubles.

Pair this card with…

Petela: Bang Bang Shrimp. I am supremely confident that Chidi Njokuani will score a knockout win in the co-main event. With one of the best nicknames in the sport, “Bang Bang” will certainly live up to it this weekend, so it makes sense to pair the card with a dish in his honor.

Sumian: Really bad movies from the 80’s. This is probably the worst card on paper in Apex history. However, just like all those horrible movies from the 80’s, they are so bad, they are good. I think this card will turn out better than we think, but it will not be from the main event. This card is all the proof we need that there are simply too many events being put on at this point in time.