In a dominant performance, Hernandez smothers Dolidze with relentless pressure, finishes with round 4 choke. From start to finish, Hernandez’s nonstop pace broke Dolidze before locking in the submission at 2:45 of Round 4.
On Saturday, August 9, the UFC makes its highly anticipated return to the Octagon at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Hernandez. Headlining the card was a pivotal middleweight clash between Roman Dolidze and Anthony Hernandez. With both fighters looking to climb the ladder toward title contention, fans had a high-stakes, action-packed showdown in the main event. One is clawing his way back into title contention. The other is riding a seven-fight winning wave with no intention of slowing down.
Roman Dolidze hasn’t had the best run lately. It all began with a stumble. In February 2024, Dolidze dropped a majority decision loss to Nassourdine Imavov in the five-round main event at UFC Fight Night 235, a tactical affair where Dolidze showed flashes of power but couldn’t convince all three judges But since then, he’s gone on a tear. In June 2024, he stepped in on short notice at UFC 303 to defeat Anthony Smith via unanimous decision, shaking off ring rust and re-establishing his grit. Then in October, he faced Kevin Holland at UFC 307 and finished him via first-round TKO. Most recently, in March 2025, he earned a clear unanimous decision win against Marvin Vettori avenging a prior loss and proving he’s not done just yet.
Once known solely for his ground game, Anthony Hernandez has transformed into one of the most well-rounded, dangerous middleweights in the UFC today. Hernandez has been undefeated since 2021, and his last three victories have only solidified his standing as a nightmare matchup for just about anyone: In February 2024, he submitted Roman Kopylov via rear-naked choke at UFC 298, reminding the world of his suffocating pressure and top-tier jiu-jitsu
In October, he TKO’d Michel Pereira in the fifth round of a grueling battle, showing off not just heart but serious finishing instincts. And just this past February 2025, Hernandez outworked Brendan Allen over three hard rounds to earn a unanimous decision win.
Anthony Hernandez made the walk to the Octagon first, looking pumped. They touched gloves to start. Hernandez shot early for a single-leg takedown but they ended up trading punches and leg kicks. Hernandez crushed Dolidze with a flurry that got the crowd reacting. Dolidze pushed Hernandez to the fence, but Hernandez fought his way free, landed punches, and they returned to the center. Hernandez then pinned Dolidze against the cage and scored a takedown. They stood back up, but Hernandez put Dolidze on the cage again. Dolidze defended well and escaped, but right before the round ended, Hernandez secured another takedown.
Round 2 opened with another glove touch. Seconds later, Hernandez got another takedown. They traded shots, but Hernandez stayed on him, pinning and taking him down again. Almost immediately, Hernandez shot for another takedown and landed it. Dolidze, looking tired, tried to trap Hernandez with his legs from the bottom, but Hernandez controlled the position. He landed clean punches that Dolidze couldn’t fully avoid, then scored yet another takedown. Dolidze managed to scramble out but Hernandez stayed on him, landing more punches until the end of the round.
Round 3 had Dolidze slowing down. He threw a right hand, Hernandez ducked, locked the body, and hit a hip toss. Dolidze rolled, but Hernandez kept the pressure. Dolidze’s face was showing damage, while Hernandez looked fresh. In the clinch, Dolidze grabbed the fence but couldn’t stop Hernandez from controlling him. Hernandez rode him like a big brother, not letting him up. When they stood, Hernandez hurt him with a nasty right hand, forced him into turtle position, and landed big knees to the body. Dolidze’s corner urged him to stand, but Hernandez slammed him down again with an arm-triangle setup. At this point, Hernandez was running him over.
Round 4 started slower. Hernandez threw a leg kick that barely landed, and they almost ended up on the mat. Less than two minutes in, Hernandez got another takedown, kept top control, and when Dolidze tried to escape, Hernandez took him down again. He secured the choke, and Dolidze tapped at 2:45 of the fourth round. The stoppage came at 2:45 in the fourth round with Hernandez securing his eighth win in a row overall.
“I was pissed off my last fight I came in with torn ribs. It went to decision,” Hernandez said after the win. “I just had to do what I had to do to win. This time, I wanted to come show the f*ck out with my hands, my f*cking wrestling, my jiu-jitsu. Show I can do everything…“I want a title shot. What do I f*cking got to do? I work my butt off. I push myself to the limit everyday. All I know is violence and war. Give me a title shot and I promise I’ll be the next champ.”
It was a masterclass in pressure, control, and grit from Anthony Hernandez. From the opening bell to the final choke, he never gave Dolidze a moment to breathe, proving once again why he’s a force to be reckoned with in the division.
