Roman Dolidze has spoken out about the brawl in Abu Dhabi, calling what happened completely unacceptable. He said sport has its own rules and that the incident goes beyond the boundaries of sport. "Let's call things by their names," Dolidze said.
Roman Dolidze has publicly condemned the brawl in Abu Dhabi, describing what took place as completely unacceptable and saying it crossed the line from sport into something else.
Dolidze said sport has its own rules and that the incident goes beyond the boundaries of sport. "Let's call things by their names," he said, framing his comments as a call for plain language about what happened rather than a defence of either side.
The Georgian light heavyweight is 38 years old and trains out of Xtreme Couture. He stands six-foot-two, or 188 cm, with a 76-inch reach, and fights from an orthodox stance. His professional record is 15-6-0.
Dolidze's recent run in the cage has been difficult. His most recent recorded fight came on August 22, 2026, when Reinier de Ridder stopped him by KO/TKO in the first round at UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Rodrigues. Before that, Christian Leroy Duncan beat him by unanimous decision on March 21, 2026. Anthony Hernandez submitted him in the fourth round on August 9, 2025. That is three consecutive recorded losses, covering a stretch of just over a year.
Statistically, Dolidze has built his career on a mix of volume striking and grappling. He lands 3.12 significant strikes per minute at 41 percent accuracy, and averages 1.13 takedowns and 0.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Dolidze's comments add a fighter's voice to the discussion around the Abu Dhabi incident, with an emphasis on the distinction between competition and conduct outside the rules.
- His statement is notable for its tone: he does not detail the incident but insists it be described bluntly.
- It comes as Dolidze looks to rebound from three straight recorded defeats, with his name in the headlines for reasons beyond his own fights.
No further detail on the Abu Dhabi incident was included in Dolidze's remarks as reported, and the focus of his message was the principle that sport operates within boundaries.
