Roman Dolidze: an ADCC competitor in the UFC
From goalkeeper to ADCC World Championship competitor to UFC contender: Roman Dolidze's leg locks, his knockouts, his recent losing streak, and his return to grappling in Tbilisi.
Roman Dolidze was born on 15 July 1988 in Batumi. Before fighting he was a professional football goalkeeper in Turkey. At twenty he moved to Odesa in Ukraine to study shipbuilding, and that is where he started sambo, jiu-jitsu and grappling. Today he fights in the UFC, and his record is 15 wins and 6 losses.
Where his grappling comes from
Dolidze is one of the few Georgian fighters who competed at a high level in submission grappling before the UFC. In 2016 he won the ADCC Asia and Oceania trials at -99 kg, which earned him a place at the 2017 ADCC World Championship in Finland, one of the most prestigious no-gi tournaments in the world. He lost his first match there on points to Yuri Simões, a multiple world champion. He also won world and European titles in grappling under UWW rules.
How he fights
His early MMA wins show the grappler: heel hooks in the first round in 2016 and 2017. In the UFC he became known above all for his punching power. Eight of his fifteen wins came by knockout or TKO, including Kyle Daukaus, Phil Hawes and Jack Hermansson. He also beat Anthony Smith, Kevin Holland and, in 2025, Marvin Vettori in a five-round rematch.
A difficult year
He has lost his last three fights: to Anthony Hernandez by rear naked choke in 2025, to Christian Leroy Duncan on points in March 2026, and to Reinier de Ridder in August 2026, when he pulled guard looking for a leg lock and de Ridder took his back and finished him with strikes. In September 2026 he went back to his roots, headlining a submission-only grappling event, Hype Georgia, in Tbilisi, where he reportedly beat Makhmud Muradov with a heel hook.
What someone who trains three times a week can take from it
- Leg locks are a real weapon. Dolidze’s first finishes were heel hooks. Learn them carefully, with a coach, and tap early when you’re caught.
- Pulling guard has a cost. Against de Ridder, the transition to the leg lock gave his opponent the chance to take his back. Every attack opens something; know what yours opens.
- Grappling makes your striking safer. Confidence on the ground gives a fighter more freedom to attack on the feet.