Roman Dolidze

Roman Dolidze, known as "The Caucasian," is a Georgian mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division of the UFC, with earlier experience fighting at light heavyweight. He hails from Batumi, Georgia.

Dolidze's path to fighting was unconventional. He spent his early athletic years as a soccer goalkeeper, including a professional stint in Turkey, before shifting his focus to combat sports. He relocated to Ukraine to study shipbuilding engineering at the Odesa Maritime Academy, and it was there that he began training in sambo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and grappling, laying the foundation for his second athletic career.

That grappling foundation is well documented. Dolidze earned recognition as a World Grappling Champion and European Grappling Champion under United World Wrestling rules, and he captured the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Asia and Oceania Championship in the 99-kilogram division, cementing his sambo and submission-grappling pedigree before he ever stepped into a cage.

Inside the cage, Dolidze fights as a versatile threat who pairs heavy hands with sambo-rooted control, scrambling ability, and a willingness to hunt for submissions on the mat. That two-pronged skill set allows him to finish fights standing or on the ground.

Before reaching the UFC, Dolidze won and successfully defended the World Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight title. Once in the UFC, he strung together finishes over Kyle Daukaus, Phil Hawes, and Jack Hermansson, each earning Performance of the Night honors, and later added notable victories over Kevin Holland, Anthony Smith, and Marvin Vettori.

Beyond the results, Dolidze has become a recognizable representative of Georgia and the wider Caucasus region on MMA's biggest stage. His nickname is a direct nod to that heritage, and his late transition from soccer to elite grappling and UFC competition has made him a distinctive example of the sambo tradition's global reach into mixed martial arts.