A middleweight contender fight is nearing finalization as the the first fight booked for UFC 286 in London.
Former UFC middleweight title challenger Marvin Vettori will meet surging Georgian Roman Dolidze. The event takes place March 18 at O2 Arena with the main card on pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.
Dolidze confirmed the matchup on his Instagram page Thursday after UFC broadcast partner ESPN was first to report the news.
Vettori (18-5-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) looks to bounce back from a unanimous decision loss over Robert Whittaker in September. Vettori is 6-2 in his most recent eight, though 1-2 in his past three. Prior to the Whittaker loss, he defeated Paulo Costa to bounce back from a failed title bid against Israel Adesanya.
Dolidze (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has emerged as a potential dark horse of the 185-pound division. He rides a four-fight winning streak into UFC 286, which includes a unanimous decision win over Laureno Staropoli, as well as knockouts of Kyle Daukaus, Phil Hawes, and most recently Jack Hermansson.
No other bouts have been announced for UFC 286 at this time.
