UFC middleweight contender Roman Dolidze outlined two desired options for his next fight, but it would it seem that he's already down to one.
Dolidze continued his charge up the 185-pound ladder in the main event of Saturday's UFC Fight Night at the Apex, where he exacted his revenge on Marvin Vettori by way of a comfortable unanimous decision.
Since defeats to the Italian in 2023 and Jack Hermansson last February left him on a losing skid, the Georgian has won three on the bounce. And with that, Dolidze believes he's earned a shot at one of the division's top names.
"The Caucasian" pointed to former champions Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker as two "realistic" but high-ranked opponents for his next assignment. But during the latest episode of his , the latter was quick to decline.
I’m trying to fight a top five guy, dude. Join the queue," Robert Whittaker said.
Like many fans and pundits, "The Reaper" also didn't appear too enthralled by Saturday's main event in his division at the Apex — perhaps compounding his lack of interest in a showdown with Dolidze.
I watched a round and a half and was like, ‘Dude, I have nothing to gain from this,’ and I went back to Monster Hunter Wilds," Whittaker said. "Bro, it was just like the exact same as their first fight. They’re still at the same pub. They’re just like, ‘Ah, it’s you,’ and then they just started punching on again. It’s the exact same thing. I reckon they should run it back to break the trilogy, to get some proper closure on whatever reason they’re having a brawl.
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Whittaker last competed in October 2024, suffering a crushing submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev that left him requiring dental surgery.
The Australian had previously defeated Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov to push closer to a rematch with Dricus Du Plessis. He's now welcomed a possible showdown with the champion's most recent challenger, Sean Strickland, for this summer.
Dolidze, meanwhile, will be eagerly awaiting an answer from Adesanya.
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