The UFC is close to finalizing an important middleweight fight between Marvin Vettori and Roman Dolidze in March, sources told ESPN.
Both sides have agreed to the 185-pound matchup, which will take place at UFC 286 on March 18 in London. The UFC has not yet announced a main event for that card.
Vettori (18-5-1) is a former title challenger from Italy. He came up short in a five-round title bid against then-champion Israel Adesanya in June 2021. He fought only once in 2022, dropping a unanimous decision to former champion Robert Whittaker in September. Vettori, 29, has never fought newly crowned champion Alex Pereira. Pereira won the title last month by knocking out Adesanya.
Dolidze (12-1) represents a fresh face in the UFC’s middleweight rankings. The Georgian contender is coming off the biggest win of his career this month, when he knocked out Jack Hermansson in a short-notice fight at UFC Fight Night in Orlando. Dolidze signed with the UFC in 2019 with a record of just 6-0, and has gone 6-1 with four finishes inside the Octagon.
Vettori and Dolidze are ranked 4 and 8, respectively, in the UFC’s middleweight rankings.
The UFC 286 pay-per-view will take place at O2 Arena. Although the UFC has not announced a main event, Jamaican-English welterweight champion Leon Edwards is expected to be on the card.