The UFC has finalized a middleweight matchup between ranked contenders for their MSG show in November. MMA reporter Giorgi Kokiashvili was the first to report earlier today that Derek Brunson (23-9) and Roman Dolidze (12-2) would be squaring off in November.
UFC 295 goes down at Madison Square Garden in New York on November 11th. That night, Derek Brunson will be looking to snap his current two-fight losing streak. The last time we saw Brunson was back in March where he was finished by top contender Dricus Du Plessis.
Entering 2022, Derek Brunson had won five fights in a row and was on the cusp of a title shot. He took on Jared Cannonier in a title eliminator. Brunson had Cannonier hurt in the first round and locked in a rear naked choke just as the round was ending. 20 more seconds and Derek Brunson is fighting for the title.
However, the round did end and Brunson looked gassed and dejected to start the second. Cannonier would finish him in the second. Similarly, Brunson started well against Dricus Du Plessis before completely fading and getting stopped in the second round. He will hope for a reverse of fortune at UFC 295.
UFC 295
Roman Dolidze entered the UFC at 6-0 and won his first two fights before losing a decision to Trevin Giles. After the loss to Giles however, Dolidze would win four in a row including three straight stoppages. The last victory was a stoppage over Jack Hermansson.
Those wins earned him a fight against former title challenger Marvin Vettori at UFC 286 back in March. Unfortunately for Dolidze, that is where his momentum was halted as he lost a decision to Vettori. Now, he’s looking to get back on track with a quality win over a quality opponent in Derek Brunson.