LAS VEGAS – Roman Dolidze first damaged the leg of Phil Hawes before landing shots to the head for a savage knockout at UFC Fight Night 213.
In a sequence near the start of the middleweight bout at the UFC Apex, Dolidze (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) got Hawes (12-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in a nasty leg lock that appears to pop the knee out. The fight continued, though, and turned into a striking affair.
That played huge to Dolidze’s advantage, because he waited for his moment to pick the shots and land a clean combination that floored Hawes and put the lights out.
Check out the replay of Dolidze’s handiwork below (via Twitter):
THIS KO FROM DOLIDZE 🥶 #UFCVegas63 pic.twitter.com/Ywrw3eGVp6
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 29, 2022
Roman Dolidze took Bisping's notes to heart 😂 #UFCVegas63 pic.twitter.com/8vNxU0pCCq
— UFC (@ufc) October 29, 2022
With five wins in six UFC appearances so far, Dolidze said he’s ready for the next level of competition. He said Hawes was a respectable foe, but he wants more the next time he steps in the cage.
“That’s how it is,” Dolidze told Michael Bisping in his post-fight interview. “If you don’t tap, I knock you out. … These guys don’t understand who I am. They need to give me better fights.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 213 results include:
- Roman Dolidze def. Phil Hawes via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 4:09
- Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Andrei Arlovski via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:50
- Junyong Park def. Joseph Holmes via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:04
- Steve Garcia def. Chase Hooper via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:32
- Cody Durden def. Carlos Mota via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Christian Rodriguez def. Joshua Weems via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 1, 4:07
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 213.
