Top Reasons to Catch UFC Vegas 104

Check marks in the loss column bug Roman Dolidze, as they do with most high-level prizefighters.

The Xtreme Couture export will attempt to even his score with Marvin Vettori in the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division when their rematch headlines UFC Fight Night 254 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Dolidze, 36, lost the first meeting between the two by unanimous decision two years ago. The former World Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder enters the cage on the strength of back-to-back victories, an 8-3 record inside the Octagon in tow. Dolidze last suited up at UFC 307, where he prompted a first-round corner stoppage against Kevin Holland on Oct. 5. Vettori, meanwhile, has rattled off seven wins in 10 outings. The American Top Team rep has not competed since June 17, 2023, when he dropped a five-round unanimous decision to Jared Cannonier at UFC on ESPN 47. In 27 professional appearances, Vettori has never been finished.

Outside of the Dolidze-Vettori rematch at 185 pounds, here are three other reasons to catch UFC Fight Night 254:

Powder Keg

Violence feels like a foregone conclusion in the welterweight co-main event, where Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos awaits Chidi Njokuani in a potential firefight at 170 pounds. They have 33 finishes between them, 21 of the first-round variety. Zaleski dos Santos has won 11 of his past 15 bouts, having pieced together an 11-3-1 mark in that timeframe. The 38-year-old Cristiano Marcello protégé last saw action at UFC Fight Night 247, where he needed just 75 seconds to waste Zach Scroggin with punches on Nov. 9. On the other side of the equation, Njokuani has rattled off two straight wins. The ex-Tachi Palace Fights champion last strapped on the gloves in October, when he outpointed Jared Gooden to a unanimous decision in their three-round pairing at UFC Fight Night 244. Njokuani, 36, holds a respectable 4-3 record in the UFC.

A Bull Market

Kevin Vallejos inspires plenty of intrigue as a 23-year-old featherweight with talent to spare. Just how high his ceiling goes remains to be seen. The former three-division Samurai Fight House champion looks to accelerate his ascent when he makes his promotional debut against Seung Woo Choi in a featured attraction at 145 pounds. Vallejos steps into the spotlight with the wind of a three-fight winning streak in his sails. The Argentinian prospect nailed down his spot on the UFC roster via Dana White’s Contender Series on Sept. 24, when he put away Cam Teague with first-round punches. Choi, meanwhile, finds himself headed in the opposite direction. He has lost four of his last five fights, including a 96-second technical knockout loss to Steve Garcia at UFC on ESPN 60 in July. Choi was a two-time titleholder in South Korea’s Top Fighting Championship organization prior to his 2019 arrival in the UFC.

Positive Gains

While momentum in the UFC has proven elusive, Kurt Holobaugh may have finally turned a corner. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 31 winner and onetime Titan Fighting Championship titleholder tries to strengthen his foothold at 155 pounds when he locks horns with Alexander Hernandez in a three-round lightweight showcase. Holobaugh, 38, has put together a 4-1 record since his second stint in the UFC ended in 2019 with consecutive defeats to Raoni Barcelos, Shane Burgos and Thiago Moises. The Independence, Louisiana, native last appeared at UFC on ESPN 60, where he took a three-round unanimous decision from Kaynan Kruschewsky on July 20. Holobaugh has secured 17 of his 21 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission, four of them inside of a minute. On the other side of the docket, Hernandez has lost seven times in 13 outings since he debuted in the UFC with a stunning 42-second knockout of Beneil Dariush seven-plus years ago. The 32-year-old Factory X standout returned to victory lane in October, when he eked out a contentious split decision over Austin Hubbard at UFC 307.