Main Card Results | UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs Dolidze 2 – UFC
UFC CEO Dana White likes to joke that when the prelims are outstanding, the main card can often underwhelm, but that was not the case on Saturday night at the UFC APEX.After five of the seven preliminary card matchups ended inside the distance, the action remained fast-paced and entertaining after shifting to the main card, with finishes in each of the first three fights, an exciting back-and-forth at lightweight, and Argentinian rookie Kevin Vallejos opened the main card with a first-round stoppage win over SeungWoo Choi before Brendson Ribeiro and Da’Mon Blackshear earned consecutive submission wins by kimura, tapping out Diyar Nurgozhay and Cody Gibson respectively. After Alexander Hernandez and Kurt Holobaugh paired off for an fun tussle in the 155-pound ranks, Chidi Njokuani took the judges out of his fight with Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, finishing him with a well-timed knee up the middle a couple minutes into the second round.In the main event, Roman Dolidze gained a measure of revenge over Marvin Vettori, pushing the action and out-striking the returning Italian down the stretch to salt away his third straight victory.It was an action-packed night of fights on Saturday night in Las Vegas, and the full details of how things played out inside the Octagon are available for your review below.UFC FIGHT NIGHT: VETTORI vs DOLIDZE 2 took place Saturday, March 15 in Las Vegas. The entire event aired live on ESPN+ (English and Spanish) starting with the prelims at 4pm ET/1pm PT, followed by the main card at 7pm ET/4pm PT.Main event scheduled for five rounds. All other bouts scheduled for three rounds. | Prelim Results | Official ScorecardsNearly two years to the day since their first meeting, Roman Dolidze and Marvin Vettori once again used their full allotment of time, pairing off for a back-and-forth 25-minute fight to close out the night’s action at the UFC APEX.This was a “one for you, one for me” fight through-and-through, both in terms of strikes landed in each round and the way the rounds progressed, as both each had moments of success in every frame without ever drawing clear, and the scoring of the opening four frames feeling fairly straightforward.Seemingly all square heading into the final round, Dolidze carried over the momentum he’d built in the fourth, landing at a higher rate and with greater overall impact than Vettori down the stretch, raising his hands in victory at the sound of horn.When the scorecards were collected and tallied, it was in fact Dolidze that came away with the victory, earning a measure of vengeance after dropping their initial encounter while picking up his third straight victory. This was a competitive fight from throughout and solid showing for Vettori after 21 months on the sidelines, and a gruelling effort from the burly Georgian in his second main event assignment in the UFC. | Prelim Results | Official ScorecardsChidi Njokuani continued his impressive run since moving to welterweight, stopping veteran Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos in Saturday’s co-main event.Following a first round where the dueling strikers each had their moments, Njokuani started to get the better of things in the second, interrupting dos Santos’ timing with inside kicks each time he came forward. Later in the frame, as the Brazilian looked to close the distance, Njokuani drove a knee up the middle that found the chin, sending dos Santos crashing to the canvas, opening the door for the former middleweight to collect the finish.After going 2-3 in five starts in the 185-pound weight class, “Chidi Bang Bang” is now a perfect 3-0 since moving to welterweight, adding to his impressive start in his new weight class with his first finish. The baritone-voiced veteran is now 25-10 with one no contest in his career, and firmly entrenched in the “Second 15” in the 170-pound weight class. | Prelim Results | Official ScorecardsAlexander Hernandez and Kurt Holobaugh paired off to deliver a non-stop battle in the lightweight division midway through Saturday’s main card.Both men had positive moments in each of the first two rounds, with Hernandez looking sharp in the opening half of the first and back half of the second, and Holobaugh dictating the action in the middle. Hernandez showed a sharp understanding of the situation in the third, putting Holobaugh on the deck twice, working from top position while effectively muting the Louisiana native’s offensive output.The judges were called upon for the first time on the main card, with all three seeing the fight in favor of Hernandez. It’s been an up-and-down career inside the Octagon for “The Great Ape,” but he’s now earned consecutive victories for the first time since the outset of his UFC career. | Prelim Results | Official ScorecardsDa’Mon Blackshear took a minute to get warmed into his clash with Cody Gibson, but once he did “Da Monster” dominated, finishing things with a second-round kimura finish.Gibson was a horse of fire to start, taking the fight to Blackshear, forcing him backwards. Blackshear eventually found his footing and started to work back into things, attacking and hurting Gibson late in the first before going back on the offensive at the start of the second.After putting Gibson on his back, Blackshear was able to start to work, transitioning through different submission looks before attacking the kimura and collecting the tap.The 30-year-old Blackshear has fought one of the toughest slates over the course of his UFC career, and has now earned consecutive stoppage wins to advance to 4-3-1 inside the Octagon. He’s now finished fights by strikes, by twister, by rear-naked choke, and kimura, showing the diversity of his skill set. | Prelim Results | Official ScorecardsBrendson Ribeiro bounced Diyar Nurgozhay from the ranks of the unbeaten, tapping out the new arrival with a kimura in the second round.After dropping Nurgozhay in the opening stanza, Ribeiro immediately clamped onto a kimura grip after the Kazakh light heavyweight drove through his first takedown attempt of the second round. When Nurgozhay didn’t adjust and sell out on defense, Ribeiro used the hold to sweep into top position, torque on the shoulder further, and collect the tap.That’s now consecutive victories for “The Gorilla,” who earned his place on the roster with a first-round finish on Season 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series. The Andre “Dida” Amado protege dropped his first two appearances inside the Octagon, but looks to have settled into competing at this level by registering his first UFC finish here. | Main Card Results | Official ScorecardsWelcome to the UFC, Kevin Vallejos!The 23-year-old Argentine delivered a tremendous performance in his promotional debut to open Saturday’s main card, collecting a first-round stoppage win over South Korean veteran SeungWoo Choi.He showed tremendous patience while pressing forward, picking his spots and mixing his targets before dropping Choi with an overhand right and pounding out the finish.A member of last year’s DWCS graduating class, Vallejos is now 15-1 in his career, with his only setback coming by decision against streaking Fighting Nerds standout Jean Silva, who has finished all four of his UFC opponents to date. Make sure to keep an eye on this young man — he looks like the genuine article. | Prelim Results | Official ScorecardsDon’t miss a moment of UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs Dolidze 2, live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 15, 2025. Prelims start at 4pm ET/1pm PT, while the main card kicks off live on ESPN+ at 7pm ET/4pm PT.The Fights & Performances That Warranted An Extra $50,000 In 2025
