Dolidze Calls Out Adesanya and Whittaker
Roman Dolidze called out former middleweight champions Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker after defeating Marvin Vettori at UFC Fight Night 254. Dolidze won the five-round main event by unanimous decision on March 15, 2025, then named Adesanya and Whittaker as opponents he viewed as realistic next steps. The UFC’s post-fight interview captures the callout, and MMA Fighting’s report explains his reasoning.
Dolidze’s victory was a rematch win. Vettori had beaten him by unanimous decision in their first meeting at UFC 286 in 2023. Two years later, Dolidze earned the same kind of five-round decision himself, with the judges scoring 49-46 on all three cards. The result gave Dolidze a third consecutive win and put him back in the middleweight contender conversation.
The callout was a matchmaking request, not a booked fight. Dolidze said Adesanya and Whittaker were recognizable former champions and attractive opponents, but the UFC had to decide whether either matchup fit the division’s rankings and schedules. Whittaker publicly questioned the value of facing Dolidze, and the exchange became a short verbal dispute rather than an announced bout.
Adesanya and Whittaker had both held the UFC middleweight title and carried substantial name recognition. A fight with either would offer Dolidze a chance to move toward the top of the division, while presenting an experienced test for the former champions. But rankings, recent losses, and other contenders shape those decisions; a post-fight request does not guarantee a title eliminator.
Dolidze’s performance against Vettori itself was a more concrete indicator of his form. He stayed competitive across five rounds, won enough of the judges’ scoring criteria for a sweep, and reversed the result of their first encounter. The callout followed that achievement, but the two should be kept distinct: the decision was official, while the proposed opponents were only Dolidze’s preferred options.
The useful update is that Dolidze beat Vettori, then asked to fight Adesanya or Whittaker. His comments reflected the practical realities of matchmaking and the value of facing well-known former champions. Whether either fight comes together depends on UFC booking decisions, but the source material supports the win and the callouts without treating them as a confirmed next assignment.
