Dolidze went into the bout ranked 12th in the UFC’s official middleweight rankings as he took on eighth-ranked Vettori in a rematch of their bout at UFC 286 in London two years ago.
Vettori took the judges’ decision in that meeting in England, but at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Dolidze held the upper hand as he earned scores of 49-46, 49-46, 49-46 from the Octagonside judges to claim the 14th win of his pro MMA career and avenge his prior loss to Vettori.
His victory should also see Dolidze elevated into the top 10 of the UFC’s middleweight rankings, and potentially position him for a shot at top five opposition later this year.
The fact that the matchup went to the scorecards again was of little surprise – neither man has been finished, either by knockout or submission, in their respective careers. And both men showcased their toughness in a bout that saw the pair battle from the first second to the last in a gritty, hard-nosed encounter.
In the co-main event, former middleweight Chidi Njokuani claimed a second-round TKO of fellow UFC veteran Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos as he continued his successful run at welterweight.
Njokuani had lost three in a row at middleweight through 2023 and took the decision to move down to 170 pounds, and rediscovered his winning form in 2024 with back-to-back wins over Rhys McKee and Jared Gooden.
And on Saturday night at the UFC APEX, “Bang Bang” lived up to his nickname as he finished Dos Santos with strikes to improve his record to 25-10.
Lightweight Alexander Hernandez kicked off his year with victory as he defeated Kurt Holobaugh to kick off a two-fight win streak following prior losses to Bill Algeo and Damon Jackson.
Earlier in the evening, we saw back-to-back Kimura finishes as first Brendson Ribeiro, then Da’Mon Blackshear, both claimed second-round submission finishes with the shoulder-lock finish.
The main card kicked off with a bang, as Kevin Vallejos stunned Choi Seung-Woo with strikes mid-way through the opening round of their featherweight matchup.
UFC Vegas 104: Official results
MAIN CARD
- Roman Dolidze def. Marvin Vettori via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
- Chidi Njokuani def. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos via TKO (knee and elbows) – Round 2, 2:19
- Alexander Hernandez def. Kurt Holobaugh via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
- Da’Mon Blackshear def. Cody Gibson via submission (Kimura) – Round 2, 4:09
- Brendson Ribeiro def. Diyar Nurgozhay via submission (Kimura) – Round 2, 1:28
- Kevin Vallejos def. Choi Seung-Woo via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:09
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Ryan Spann via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 4:48
- You Su-Young def. AJ Cunningham via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Carlos Vera def. Josias Musasa via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:16
- Sam Hughes def. Stephanie Luciano via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-27)
- Andre Lima def. Daniel Barez via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 3:05
- Priscila Cachoeira def. Josiane Nunes via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 2:46
- Carli Judice def. Yuneisy Duben via TKO (head kick and punches) – Round 1, 1:40
