In the span of seven months, Dolidze went from being an intriguing fighter returning following a one-year hiatus to being ranked in the Top 10 in the middleweight division.
His 2022 campaign started on June 18 in Austin, Texas, where the 34-year-old needed just 73 seconds to stop Kyle Daukaus. Four months later, he knocked out Phil Hawes, earning a second straight Performance of the Night bonus for his efforts.
Then in December, Dolidze jumped at the chance to replace Derek Brunson opposite veteran Jack Hermansson on the first card of the month, quickly returning to the Octagon for a high upside pairing with “The Joker.” That evening in Orlando, the burly Georgian catapulted himself into the Top 10 by collecting a second-round stoppage win over Hermansson, transitioning from a nasty calf slicer setup to heavy ground-and-pound to secure the finish… and another Performance of the Night bonus.
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Dolidze may be a little older than the rest of the names on this list at 34, but he’s still just 13 fights into his MMA career and hasn’t logged a ton of miles in that time. He’s an excellent grappler with clear power, and it feels like he’s really starting to come into his own.
If you’re looking for a dark horse contender in the 185-pound weight class in 2023, Dolidze is your guy.
