And get ready for a fight in the middleweight division that is going to be incredibly exciting! Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez and Roman “The Caucasian” Dolidze, two of the crowd favorites will meet on June 1st at UFC 302.
A very interesting fight is coming up next for my man Roman Dolidze 🇬🇪
I think it's time to showcase his grappling skills again against Fluffy.
This fight will decide too many things imho. pic.twitter.com/ifI2yWdqJu
— Giorgi Kokiashvili 🇬🇪 (@iHeartGeorgius1) March 26, 2024
The Matchup
Anthony Hernandez is someone who always stands out with his forward pressure and striking and grappling. He won by submission against his toughest opposition yet in Roman Kopylov at UFC 298 and has been looking to build upon that success coming into this fight against Dolidze.
On the opposite side of the octagon stands Georgian powerhouse Roman Dolidze. The power and wrestling strength, as well as relentless pace of Dolidze are something any man in the 185-pound division should fear most. Having won his last four fights including victories over opponents like Kyle Daukaus, Phil Hawes, Punahele Soriano this athlete has proved to be highly dangerous in the ring.
This match between Hernandez and Dolidze brings thoughts of high octane action with explosive finishes. Let us analyze their strengths a little further and what fans can expect on fight night.
Hernandez's unique fighting style coupled with incredible talents for capturing jaw-dropping submissions make him a darling to many fans. As an unpredictable striker, he owns a pressure style of fighting that looks to bring the fight to his opponents and break them and mix in the takedowns and grappling which is meant to keep opponents off guard.
However, despite having such an amazing magic touch when it comes to finishing bouts, Hernandez can also threaten opponents on canvas. The fighter’s notable submission skills such as his rear-naked choke, like in his last fight with Kopylov, have earned him several bonuses due to great performances since he came into his UFC career. Nevertheless, Hernandez should be careful not to forget about his takedown defense as he often struggles with it and tends to leave openings for his rivals.
To win against Dolidze, Hernandez needs to throw everything at him. His striking and forward pressure should make life difficult for the Georgian and keep him from getting into his rhythm. If Hernandez can mix in some takedowns and threaten with submissions, he could force Dolidze to fight on his back foot, opening up opportunities for a knockout or submission victory.
As for Dolidze, since making his debut in 2020, Roman Dolidze has been taking by storm UFC’s middleweight division. From Georgia comes a well-rounded fighter who is always ready to finish opponents off viciously on every occasion. He controls where the battle happens because of his wrestling background and possesses thunderous ground-and-pound skillset. However, the most significant leap forward was made in striking department by Dolidze.
While grappling and wrestling form the bedrock of his arsenal, Roman has shown great improvement in striking during recent fights. He showed good boxing skills when he fought Kyle Daukaus and knocked out Punahele Soriano brutally on December 2022. This evolution in his striking game makes him an even more dangerous opponent for Hernandez.
Pressuring will take dominance over letting go when it comes to Dolidze fighting against Hernandez. For example, due to strong wrestling fundamentals which enables this athlete close gaps between them that puts their opponents backs against cage walls; then ground-and-pound is released so strongly that victims are hard-pressed not withstand endurable pain from it all done meticulously by Dolidze’. To beat Hernandez, however, he may choose to slow down the fight and take Anthony down thus exhausting him after which he can find a way out for himself.
These two fighters, Hernandez and Dolidze are hungry but they need to prove something. If Hernandez wins, he will be considered as one of the best middleweight contenders in the world and that will take him closer to a possible title fight. A for Dolidze will get him back on track and into the thick of things in the UFC's middleweight diviision.
This is a fight that can potentially end up with Fight of the Night award. With two explosive and aggressive fighters out there looking to make a statement, expect nothing less than fireworks when these two warriors collide at UFC 302.
UFC 302 Confirmed Bouts
- Alexander Volkov vs. Jailton Almeida
- Roman Dolidze vs. Anthony Hernandez
- Joselyne Edwards vs. Ailin Perez
- Mickey Gall vs. Bassil Hafez
- Michelle Waterson-Gomez vs. Gillian Robertson
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