Marvin Vettori is back in the win column after halting the rise of a new middleweight contender.
The opening bout of the UFC 286 main card at The O2 in London saw Vettori (19-5-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) take on Roman Dolidze. It was a close, gritty back-and-forth striking battle over 15 minutes, but when the dust settled, judges turned in scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 in Vettori’s favor over Dolidze (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC).
Vettori opened with a pair of leg kicks, which would prove to be a focus throughout the fight. A moment later, Dolidze unloaded a flurry of strikes, putting Vettori on retreat early. Although the crowd got excited in the moment, Vettori was able to circle away and reset. In the final moments of Round 1, Dolidze sparked another heated exchange before the fighters returned to their corners.
