Ilia Topuria reacts after fellow Georgian Roman Dolidze gets the 'job done' against Marvin Vettori in the rematch
Ilia Topuria and Roman Dolidze are among the fighters leading the Georgian charge in the UFC. Topuria, a Spanish-Georgian fighter became the first fighter from the country to capture a UFC title, and now, Dolidze has added another statement win for their homeland.
Dolidze faced Marvin Vettori in a rematch nearly two years after their first meeting this past weekend at UFC Vegas 104. Dolidze was accompanied by fellow Georgian and UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili in his corner.
The fight proved to be a gritty, back-and-forth battle. The early rounds featured sharp exchanges, as Dolidze pressed forward with his striking, while Vettori countered with volume and movement.
Neither man dominated outright in the exchanges. However, as the fight wore on, Dolidze’s pressure and heavier shots began to take a toll.
Heading into the final round, Dolidze poured on the aggression, landing the cleaner, more damaging shots. In the end, all three judges scored the fight 49-46 unanimously in favor of Dolidze.
Topuria reacted to the victory via Instagram stories with clap emojis and the Georgian flag, applauding Dolidze's work.
Check out Ilia Topuria's reaction below:
![Ilia Topuria reacts to Roman Dolidze's win. [Screenshot courtesy: @iliatopuria on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/796f6-17422984692170-1920.jpg?w=500)
As for Topuria, the 28-year-old decided to vacate the UFC featherweight throne to chase a fight against Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title. However, recent reports suggest that Makhachev's team declined the fight shaped by the conviction that Topuria hasn't earned the title shot yet.
UFC legend labels Ilia Topuria's decision to move up to lightweight "premature"
Ilia Topuria’s decision to move to lightweight has sparked debate among MMA fans and fighters alike. Topuria cited weight-cut issues and confidence in dethroning Islam Makhachev as factors behind the decision.
However, UFC legend Matt Serra believes the move might be "premature." Speaking on The Overdogs Podcast with Mike Perry, Serra admitted that Topuria has the skills to compete at lightweight but questioned why he wouldn’t stay longer at 145.
Serra said:
"I think it’s gonna be interesting to see him at 155. I would’ve liked to see ihim at 145 a little bit more. I feel like he had some big wins obviously with [Alexander] Volkanovski and Max Holloway, but I think it might be a little premature to go up."
He added:
"Not that he couldn’t [beat Makhachev and win the lightweight title], I’m sure he could do it, but why not be a savage and clear out that division even more? You got Diego Lopes, you got other guys down there that are dangerous. I would’ve liked to seen him fight there a little more."
Check out Matt Serra's comments below (1:25:40):