At UFC 307 in Salt Lake City, middleweight star Roman Dolidze found himself not only victorious but also unexpectedly promoted to a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. The Georgian athlete’s bout against Kevin Holland came to an abrupt end when Holland suffered a rib injury during a ground scramble, leading to a stoppage of the match.
Dolidze, known for his grappling prowess, expressed no remorse over the circumstances of his win. “Win is win,” he stated matter-of-factly in his press conference interview. “We all get something happen with us. I’ve had a lot of different crazy injuries. I know how it is.”
The 34-year-old star’s journey in BJJ has been unconventional, to say the least. Prior to this promotion, Dolidze was already making waves in the grappling community. He had previously claimed victories in the ADCC Asia & Oceania championships and the Grappling FILA world championship, showcasing his exceptional skills on the mat.
Interestingly, Dolidze’s path to BJJ recognition hasn’t always been smooth. In a story shared by Craig Jones of the B-team, Dolidze once visited a high-profile BJJ gym in the United States as a white belt. Despite his evident talent, he was denied access to the pro class. Undeterred, Dolidze reportedly impressed by heel-hooking a multiple-time black belt world champion during an informal training session. Following this experience, he humorously promoted himself to blue belt.
The newly minted black belt expressed his surprise at the promotion, stating, “That I didn’t expect. I can expect everything, but not black belt. I have competed in a lot of big events like grappling and some jiu-jitsu. All my belts that I have, it’s like out of nowhere. Even my blue belt. It’s a big gift for me.”
With this victory and unexpected promotion under his belt, Dolidze is already setting his sights on bigger challenges. He expressed interest in facing the winner of the upcoming bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. “Both of these fighters are incredible, good fighters, and I respect them. As always, I want to test myself with the best, and I think these guys are among the best,” Dolidze remarked.
Kevin Holland broke his rib and with Dolidze mounted giving him ground and pound he was yelling at him, and then he wanted to keep fighting… Plus in the first few minutes he was doing really well.
Kevin Holland is a super tough guy.#UFC307 pic.twitter.com/q0TaTuOgnA— Maxtrui (@Maxtrui) October 6, 2024
