Roman Dolidze scored one of the more unique finishes in recent memory on Saturday when he halted Jack Hermansson at UFC on ESPN 42.
Dolidze (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) caught Hermansson (23-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in a calf slicer position in the second round, then used it to flip his opponent over. With his leg trapped and face pinned toward the canvas, a flurry of punches left the referee with no choice but to step in for the TKO at the 4:06 mark of Round 2.
The middleweight bout was part of the UFC on ESPN 42 main card at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.
DOLIDZE HAD HERMANSSON HELPLESS 😳 #UFCOrlando pic.twitter.com/XKnCYlGOsG
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 4, 2022
After a relatively competitive first frame, Dolidze picked it up in a big way in the second stanza. He was attacking with all sorts of strikes and submission attempts, putting Hermansson on the defensive. Hermansson made a mistake in the grappling exchange, allowing Dolidze to get into the finishing position.
After the fight, Dolidze called out Khamzat Chimaev as a big test in the 185-pound weight class.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 42 results include:
- Roman Dolidze def. Jack Hermansson via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:06
- Eryk Anders def. Kyle Daukaus via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:45
- Phil Rowe def. Niko Price via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 3:26
- Angela Hill def. Emily Ducote via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Clay Guida def. Scott Holtzman via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Michael Johnson def. Marc Diakiese via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Jonathan Pearce def. Darren Elkins via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Natan Levy def. Genaro Valdez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Francis Marshall def. Marcelo Rojo via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 1:14
- Yazmin Jauregui def. Istela Nunes via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:06
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 42.