Roughly 30 seconds in the fight, the burly Georgian middleweight dropped Daukaus with a left hand coming out of a clinch in the center of the cage. He followed his dazed opponent to the canvas, landing short blows as they worked back to a standing position along the fence before smashing Daukaus with a thudding knee to the face that sent him back to the deck and halted the proceedings.
This was the first of three victories in 2022 for Dolidze, who catapulted himself into the Top 10 in the middleweight division in the process. This effort and his middle win of the pack showcased his striking prowess and significant power, while he flashed his grappling credentials in his short notice win over Jack Hermansson to wrap up the year.
It was a great year for the Georgian, and this is the victory that kicked things off.
Erin Blanchfield defeat JJ Aldrich (UFC Vegas 56)
If this fight were the 10th or 11th fight on a card, it still would have merited consideration for this compilation because it was the first of two reminders this year that Blanchfield has an extremely bright future in the flyweight division.
For much of the contest, the veteran Aldrich got the better of things with her striking, working behind a good jab, smooth movement, and her overall experience to get out ahead of the promising 23-year-old prospect. Blanchfield had some moments, to be sure, but Aldrich did a good job of frustrating her and controlling the exchanges into the second round.
