Roman Dolidze will be stepping in for Carlos Ulberg to take on Anthony Smith in the latest UFC 303 main card restructuring.
Ulberg became the latest fighter removed from what’s beginning to look like the most snake-bitten fight on an ever-shifting UFC pay-per-view event.
Dolidze has a massive opportunity moving from middleweight to light heavyweight for this short-notice fight.
The 35-year-old native of Georgia comes into the fight ranked No. 10 at middleweight with a chance to knock off the No-10-ranked light heavyweight in the UFC. Dolidze is on a two-fight losing streak.
Most recently, he lost a majority decision to Nassourdine Imavov in February. Before that loss, Dolidze dropped a unanimous decision to Marvin Vettori. If he can defeat Smith, he may have breathed new life into his career in a different weight class.
Smith won’t have quite as big of an opportunity to prove himself as he would have had against Ulberg. The latter is ranked No. 11 in the UFC and is considered one of the more up-and-coming contenders in the division.
Turning Ulberg away would likely have carried more weight for Smith. However, Smith will have to be prepared for a different opponent, but still a spirited challenge from another veteran who is likely desperate for a win.
The top portion of the UFC 303 main card, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 29, at the T-Mobile Arena to culminate International Fight Week, looks completely different from when it was first announced.
Initially, Conor McGregor was set to face Michael Chandler in the main event. However, McGregor bowed out because of a broken toe, which he revealed on social media on Friday, June 21.
That fight is off the card, and it was replaced with a rematch between UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. Pereira’s title will be on the line.
The co-main event was supposed to feature Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree, but the latter was forced out after testing positive for a banned substance. Carlos Ulberg replaced Rountree, but Hill suffered knee injuries, which forced him out.
Smith replaced Hill, and now Ulberg is out, which has opened the door for Dolidze.
The UFC 303 changes have made keeping up with the card challenging, but here is an updated look at what’s on tap in Vegas on June 29.
- (c) Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka 2 – Light Heavyweight Championship
- Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes
- Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Macy Chiasson
- Anthony Smith vs. Roman Dolidze
- Ian Machado Garry vs. Michael Page
- Charles Jourdain vs. Jean Silva
- Joe Pyfer vs. Marc-Andre Barriault
- Cub Swanson vs. Andre Fili
- Payton Talbott vs. Yanis Ghemmouri
- Michelle Waterson-Gomez vs. Gillian Robertson
- Andrei Arlovski vs. Martin Buday
- Rei Tsuruya vs. Carlos Hernandez
- Ricky Simon vs. Vinicius Oliveira
Stay tuned for more coverage of the event leading up to it and immediately after the main event.
