UFC 303: Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka continues on the main card with a fight in the light heavyweight division between Anthony Smith and Roman Dolidze. Smith got back into the win column in a big way when he got the first-round guillotine submission victory meanwhile, Dolidze has now lost back-to-back fights as he looks to get back into the win column taking this fight on about a week’s notice. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Smith-Dolidze prediction and pick.

Anthony Smith (37-19) put on a vintage performance showing that there are levels to this when he submitted the then-undefeated Vitor Petrino just two minutes into the fight. Now, Smith will be looking to get on his first winning streak inside the Octagon since 2021 when he takes on Roman Dolidze this weekend at UFC 303.

Roman Dolidze (12-3) is stepping in for Carlos Ulberg on just about a week’s notice on the heels of consecutive losses to two elite middleweight contenders Marvin Vettori and Nassourdine Imavov. Now, Dolidze has the chance to right his wrongs and show that he is still an elite talent in the UFC when he takes on Anthony Smith this weekend at UFC 303.

Here are the UFC 303 Odds, courtesy of BetOnline. 

UFC 303 Odds: Anthony Smith-Roman Dolidze Odds

Anthony Smith: +115

Roman Dolidze: -135

Over 2.5 rounds: -105

Under 2.5 rounds: -125

*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Anthony Smith Will Win

Anthony Smith turned in a vintage performance when he took on the undefeated Vitor Petrino in his backyard at UFC 301 when he submitted him in the first round via guillotine choke. He stepped in on short notice to take on Carlos Ulberg after Jamahal Hill had to withdraw due to injury but now with Ulberg out, he will have to face off against short-notice opponent Roman Dolidze as he looks to continue his winning ways at UFC 303.

While Smith may not be in his prime anymore he’s still as dangerous as they come when he steps inside the Octagon each and every time and he is certainly someone you can’t take lightly much like Petrino did. His well-rounded skillset will play a vital role in taking this win against Dolidze this weekend. While Dolidze is a powerful striker he is also a very strong grappler and how Smith is a black belt in his own right which will assist him in being able to keep him out of harm’s way when it comes to submissions and keep this fight on the feet where he should have the advantage. Smith is going to need to outwork Dolidze in this fight and mix in his striking with his grappling to take the win this weekend at UFC 303.

Why Roman Dolidze Will Win

Roman Dolidze has now lost two in a row dropping consecutive decisions to Marvin Vettori and Nassourdine Imavov. After it was announced that Carlos Ulberg pulled out of the fight, Dolidze put his name in the mix as he’s searching to get back on track in a big way when he takes on a mainstay in the light heavyweight division Anthony Smith this weekend at UFC 301.

Dolidze was on the wrong end of two decisions against fighters who were able to match Dolidze’s pace and outwork him. That is not the forte of Anthony Smith at this stage of his career and with this fight being at 205 lbs where Dolidze used to fight, his cardio may end up being better without having to cut a ton of weight. He’s also at his best when he’s mixing in the grappling with his power strikes and that’s going to be his key to success against Anthony Smith in this matchup. If his cardio can maintain for the entire fight he can outwork Smith and get back on track this weekend.

Final Anthony Smith-Roman Dolidze Prediction & Pick

While we are now without both Jamahal Hill and Carlos Ulberg we still get a great fight between these two light heavyweights Anthony Smith and Roman Dolidze. Smith will look to continue his resurgence from his most recent win against Petrino meanwhile, Dolidze is in a must-win situation coming into this weekend against Anthony Smith. Ultimately, while Smith looked great in his win against Petrino it was a lapse of fight IQ on Petrino’s part that aided in that win but with Dolidze his experience in these types of situations will not let that happen and he should be just a bit better everywhere than Smith as he gets back into the win column this weekend at UFC 303.

Click here for more betting news and predictions

Final Anthony Smith-Roman Dolidze Prediction & Pick: Roman Dolidze (-135), Over 2.5 Rounds (-105)