UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Hernandez Preview and Predictions

On Saturday, Aug. 9, The UFC is back to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas for the second week in a row. The main event will move up about 60 pounds from last week’s main event as middleweights Roman Dolidze and Anthony Hernandez face off.

Dolidze is a 12-fight veteran of the UFC, who is coming off three wins in a row against Anthony Smith, Kevin Holland and Marvin Vettori. Hernandez, on the other hand, has had 10 fights in the UFC and is riding a seven-fight winning streak dating back to Feb. 2021.

The co-main event features a bantamweight showdown between Steve Erceg and Ode’ Osbourne. Due to a series of opponent changes in the preceding month, flyweight Erceg is moving up a weight class to face Osbourne.

UFC Vegas 109 airs live on ESPN+ starting at 4 p.m. ET. Combat Press writers Dan Kuhl and Matt Petela preview the action in this week’s Toe-toe-Toe.
Both middleweights in the main event are looking to extend winning streaks; will it be Roman Dolidze who moves to four straight wins or Anthony Hernandez who makes it eight consecutive victories?

Kuhl: Anthony Hernandez is a heavy favorite against Roman Dolidze, and it makes sense. Hernandez has been fighting quite impressively lately. Hes got much better wrestling than Dolidze, and, while Dolidze is a heavy hitter, Hernandez is a bit more crafty on the feet. However, I’m going against the grain on this one.

Hernandez can absorb damage in the striking department, and he will continue to persevere through five rounds. I think Dolidze comes into this one headhunting, and he will catch Hernandez before the end of Round 3. Dolidze by TKO.

Petela: Anthony Hernandez has been incredible to watch recently. He has found ways to win and look dominant each and every time he steps into the cage. I think that trend continues this weekend. It is the biggest fight of his career and the spotlight is on him in the main event. Some might think that he will fall apart under the pressure but I think he dials it in even more than he has in recent fights and puts on an absolute clinic. He will be able to stay away from the bruising power of Roman Dolidze and work long range strikes until he wants to grapple and will move from one dominant position to another as he flows on top of his opponent. I don’t think this one goes the distance; third round submission for Hernandez who will have the top five fighters all thinking about whether or not they want to fight him and he will struggle to get any of them to say yes.

It has been rough for Steve Erceg lately as he has dropped three in a row; does he begin another run to the top by defeating Ode’ Osbourne?

Petela: Steve Erceg probably beats Ode’ Osbourne, but I don’t think that it will mark the beginning of another title challenging run. He is a very good fighter, no doubt about that, but he has shown that he is just a notch below the very best. He’s 30 years old, which isn’t exactly young for a featherweight. Erceg can do it all pretty well but for as little recognition as the division gets, in order to be one of the best in the weight class you have to do at least one thing spectacularly if you aren’t better than “pretty good” at everything else. This fight probably goes the distance and will have a little bit of everything from long range striking, grappling in the clinch, and wrestling. Erceg will outwork Osbourne to get a decision win but it won’t be the type of inspiring performance that will put him back on the short list to a title shot.

Kuhl: This is not an easy one to predict. Steve Erceg was supposed to be more successful than he has shown thus far, and he is a flyweight moving up to bantamweight for this one. However, his last three losses were against three of the best in the flyweight division, including the champ and former champ. Ode’ Osbourne ended a three-fight losing streak with a TKO of Luis Gurule. This fight is just a battle of relevance.

I agree with my colleague on this one. Erceg came up short against the best of the best, and he is going to prove he belongs in the mix. He will take this one the distance and earn a dominant decision.

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

Kuhl: Priscila Cachoeira may be coming off a win in her last fight, but she is 1-2 in her last three. After the eye-gouging incident against Gillian Robertson in 2021, she still has that stigma as a dirty fighter. She is the underdog against Josylene Edwards, and a loss should bring her promotional release a lot closer.

Petela: Andre Fili. He has alternated wins and losses over his last six fights and before that he had two more losses and a no-contest. “Touchy” has been a mainstay in the promotion for years but his run is coming to a close and he isn’t young enough to evolve with the new crop of fighters in the featherweight division.

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

Petela: The thing about this fight card is that none of the fights have me particularly excited. Typically, with fight cards like that the whole event turns into a can’t-miss night. So while I’m not really excited for anything in particular, but I do think it will exceed my modest expectations.

Kuhl: Technically, the fight between Eryk Anders and Christian Leroy Duncan should be a boat race in favor of Duncan. However, Anders beat Chris Weidman back in Dec. 2024, and he has been steadily improving his jiu-jitsu to complement his ferocious striking game. I think this one will be an exciting fight to watch.

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

Kuhl: Elijah Smith, son of longtime MMA vet Gilbert Smith is going to put on a clinic against Toshiomi Kazama. It’s going to be an exciting fight right up until Smith gets the finish and a bonus $50,000.

Petela: Miles Johns. He hasn’t won by finish since 2021 so he’s due for a stoppage victory. He takes on Jean Matsumoto who only has one professional loss. These two guys aren’t known as prolific finishers but I think Johns will push the pace and land something big before Matsumoto is able to return fire in an exchange.

Pair this card with…

Petela: Miller Lite. Nothing special but smoothly satisfying. I don’t have high expectations for this card which somehow makes me think it will be fantastic so keep it simple and go with a cheap beer that doesn’t break the bank just in case it doesn’t deliver, so you can have a few extra without stretching your budget.

Kuhl: Even with school starting soon, we are still in the dog days of summer. This card may not be worthy of grilling fat steaks, but some grilled hot dogs sound pretty fitting. Nothing exciting, but tasty, easy to cook, and you can always have a few more as the night progresses.