UFC on ESPN 72: Roman Dolidze vs Anthony Hernandez Preview & Prediction

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Roman Dolidze vs Anthony Hernandez facts

What time are Roman Dolidze and Anthony Hernandez expected to walk out?

Where is UFC on ESPN: Dolidze vs Hernandez? UFC Apex, Enterprise, USA

Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN: Dolidze vs Hernandez? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC on ESPN 72

What TV channel is UFC on ESPN: Dolidze vs Hernandez on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+

Where can I stream UFC on ESPN: Dolidze vs Hernandez? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass

UFC on ESPN: Dolidze vs Hernandez main card

Roman Dolidze vs Anthony Hernandez (Middleweight)

Steve Erceg vs Ode' Osbourne (Bantamweight)

Iasmin Lucindo vs Angela Hill (Women’s Strawweight)

Andre Fili vs Christian Rodriguez (Featherweight)

Miles Johns vs Jean Matsumoto (Bantamweight)

Eryk Anders vs Christian Leroy Duncan (Middleweight)

UFC on ESPN: Dolidze vs Hernandez prelims

Julius Walker vs Raffael Cerqueira (Light Heavyweight)

Elijah Smith vs Toshiomi Kazama (Bantamweight)

Joselyne Edwards vs Priscila Cachoeira (Women’s Bantamweight)

Uros Medic vs Gilbert Urbina (Welterweight)

Gabriella Fernandes vs Julija Stoliarenko (Women’s Flyweight)

Cody Brundage vs Eric McConico (Light Heavyweight)

Roman Dolidze: “The Caucasian” puts his three fight winning streak on the line

Attempting to defend his No. 9 ranking spot in the middleweight division, Georgian bruiser Roman Dolidze (15-3) finds himself in his second headlining spot of the year. One of the division’s more imposing faces when it comes to sheer size and physicality, the Georgian bruiser is a meat-and-potatoes wrestler-boxer with a precocious ground game in his back pocket. 3 successive KOs and Performance of the Night awards in 2022 had many people labelling the Georgian as a potential outsider in the 185 pound title race, before clear cut defeats to Marvin Vettori and Nassourdine Imavov established Dolidze’s ceiling as one of the tougher gatekeepers that the division has to offer. Nevertheless, he enters this fight on another 3 fight win streak, most recently avenging his loss at the hands of Vettori in March at the Apex.

Anthony Hernandez: The division’s cardio king looks to continue his climb up the ranks

Widely touted as the dark horse of the UFC’s middleweight division, Anthony Hernandez (14-2, 1 NC) has put together a seven fight winning streak to land himself the No. 10 spot in the promotion’s official rankings. A relentless grinder, “Fluffy” is happy wherever the fight takes place, typically utilizing his ridiculous cardio to drain his opponents through his suffocating grappling. The American also possesses the highest significant strike accuracy rate amongst the entire active UFC roster, clocking in with a staggering 63.4%. He’s been perfect since a TKO loss to Kevin Holland in 2020, taking home 3 Performance of the Night bonuses along the way. Hernandez was last seen in action against Brendan Allen in February, dominating “All In” en route to an uneventful unanimous decision victory.

Roman Dolidze vs Anthony Hernandez prediction

Fans hoping for a bloody barnburner in the main event are likely to be disappointed.

Hernandez is an absolute cardio monster, a state of affairs that has seen the likes of Edmen Shahbazyan, Roman Kopylov, and Michel Pereira succumb to brutal stoppages under the weight of his merciless pressure. However, the fact that his first real test against a top contender in Brendan Allen didn’t follow this trend is telling, particularly considering that “All In” has been finished multiple times in his career. It’s also worth noting that his latest opponent is tough as an old leather boot, a status quo highlighted by the the fact that he’s never been finished in 18 professional fights.

However, that’s not to say that he’s not going to win here. Regrettably for Dolidze, his only way to win this fight would appear to be by finish; a stiff ask considering Hernandez’s iron chin, takedown heavy fighting style, and the fact that “The Caucasian” hasn’t scored a stoppage since 2022. The sheer size, strength, and toughness of Dolidze means that “Fluffy” is unlikely to have his way from the first bell, but his relentless pressure game will more than likely pay dividends over 5 rounds.

Hernandez lands enough takedowns and maintains top position for long enough to earn a decisive, if uninspiring, decision victory.