UFC Corridor of Famer Daniel Cormier thinks Anthony Smith has a taller mountain to climb after a last-second opponent swap forward of UFC 303.
Smith was scheduled to fill in for the injured Jamahal Hill in opposition to Carlos Ulberg at UFC 303. However, Ulberg withdrew on account of an undisclosed damage, after Ulberg stuffed for a beforehand injured Khalil Rountree.
Roman Dolidze, a UFC middleweight contender, will transfer as much as 205lbs to struggle Smith on days’ discover at UFC 303. He was scheduled to face Anthony Hernandez earlier this month at UFC 302 earlier than Hernandez withdrew.
After the scrambling of fighters and matchups on the UFC 303 foremost card, Cormier thinks Smith could have a more durable opponent on his fingers after Ulberg’s pull-out.
Daniel Cormier: Roman Dolidze a more durable out for Anthony Smith
Throughout a latest episode of Good Man/Dangerous Man with Chael Sonnen, Cormier defined the challenges that Smith might face in opposition to Dolidze.
“It simply appeared as if there was a transparent path in opposition to Ulberg. Keep away from the damaging hanging, you could have an opportunity to take him down, you may grapple him. That doesn’t appear as clear in opposition to Dolidze,” Cormier mentioned. “An amazing striker and grappler, so I imagine it’s a more durable struggle. Fortunately although, Dolidze is a middleweight, so Smith will nonetheless have a measurement benefit.”
Dolidze has misplaced back-to-back fights since a four-fight profitable streak in his UFC tenure. He most just lately fell to Nassourdine Imavov by majority resolution in February.
Smith is trying to maintain his constructive momentum after a fast end to Vitor Petrino at UFC 301. He tapped out Petrino with a guillotine choke simply two minutes into the struggle.
Smith could have a definite expertise benefit contained in the Octagon. He’s confronted a number of the high all-time UFC gentle heavyweights, together with Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira.
Regardless of this, Cormier feels Dolidze is a tough stylistic puzzle for Smith to unravel at UFC 303, and the upstart Dolidze might earn a press release win on one of many summer time’s largest levels.