Roman Dolidze wants to welcome Khamzat Chimaev back to the middleweight division.
Dolidze thinks he’s the right man for the job if Chimaev leaves welterweight behind to make the move back to 185 pounds.
Dolidze (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) called out Chimaev following his TKO win over Jack Hermansson (23-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC) at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 42 card in Orlando, Fla. He explained why the fight makes sense to reporters backstage.
“I think if he will not do anymore 170, and he will be 185, he will need a ranked opponent. I think it’s a good opportunity for him to go in the top 10 and (I’d) like to try,” Dolidze said (via MMA Fighting). “And for me, (it would be) a good opportunity to fight with a name like him.
“One more time: I know this guy. He’s a good person. I also respect him as a fighter, so I want to fight the best names in the game. … He’s a good wrestler, high level, but I’m also a very good high-level athlete.”
Dolidze is determined to make himself a staple in the UFC. The callout of Chimaev has the same reason on why he didn’t think twice about fighting Hermansson on Saturday.
“I’m here just to fight big names,” Dolidze said. “I know this game is just like that. You fight no-name people, you will be no name. If you fight people with names, you will go up and up. And that’s why I’m here. They offered me No. 8 and with all respect, I didn’t know who he is, what he do. I just said, ‘Of course I’m ready. Just ask him if he’s ready or not.'”
