5 takeaways from UFC Fight Night: Marvin Vettori vs. Roman Dolidze 2

The UFC's latest Fight Night event went down in Las Vegas last night. The APEX was treated to a show with little fanfare coming in, but some fine action on the night.

UFC Fight Night: Marvin Vettori vs. Roman Dolidze saw a total of nine finishes from 13 bouts, making it one of the most violence-heavy events of the year.

Of course, whether any of these bouts are remembered in a few weeks' time is another thing, but for now, they should provide some talking points.

Here are five takeaways from UFC Fight Night: Marvin Vettori vs. Roman Dolidze 2.

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#5. Should the UFC change up their bonus award system?

With nine finishes in 13 bouts, last night's event was one of the most action-packed of 2025 thus far.

In a bit of a rarity, four fighters who'd competed on the prelims - Carlos Vera, Andre Lima, Priscila Cachoeira and Carli Judice - received $50k 'Performance of the Night' bonuses.

Nobody would question that these fighters deserved their awards, particularly Cachoeira, who scored a sick uppercut knockout over Josiane Nunes.

However, it could easily be argued that the likes of Chidi Njokuani, Da'Mon Blackshear and Waldo Cortes-Acosta also deserved some kind of extra recognition.

With that considered, then, perhaps it's time for the UFC to reconsider their bonus system, and instead install an automatic bonus payment for any fighter who scores a finish.

Realistically, the promotion is making money hand-over-fist these days, and by producing events at the APEX, they're saving plenty too. Would nine bonus $50k payments instead of four really make that much difference to their bottom line?

The answer is probably no, and if nothing else, it'd be worth installing this system to avoid fighters begging Dana White for a bonus, as Cachoeira did. In the current climate, it just isn't a good look for the promotion at all.

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#4. Waldo Cortes-Acosta showed Ryan Spann the difference in heavyweight power

The final bout of last night's preliminary card saw Waldo Cortes-Acosta pick up his fourth win in a row. He stopped Ryan Spann late in the second round of their heavyweight clash.

'Salsa Boy' is already ranked at No.12 in the division, and in truth, it's unlikely that his win last night will bump him up further. Whether he can mix it with the top fighters in the division is still questionable.

Instead, the big takeaway from his win last night was the difference in the punching power that can be found in the heavyweight division.

Spann had never fought at heavyweight before, instead spending the entirety of his UFC career in the light-heavyweight division. Prior to that, he'd even fought a few times at 185 pounds.

On the face of it, his 6ft 5in frame seemed to make a move up in weight sound like a good idea, and at Friday's weigh-ins, he looked excellent.

However, in execution, he couldn't cope with Cortes-Acosta's punching power at all and looked rocked numerous times before he was finally finished off.

Given 'Salsa Boy' had one finish to his name in six prior UFC bouts, it's probably fair to argue that he isn't a one-hit knockout artist. Instead, this fight was proof that sometimes, a jump up in weight isn't a good idea, particularly when it comes to durability.

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#3. Kevin Vallejos is a man to keep a close eye on

It's safe to say that Argentina has hardly been a hotbed for producing UFC stars over the years. Realistically, the only Argentine fighter to find success in the octagon has been Santiago Ponzinibbio.

Last night, though, saw the debut of a fighter who appears to have all the potential to make it even further than 'Gente Boa'.

Featherweight Kevin Vallejos had already looked excellent in his appearance on Dana White's Contender Series, and with a record of 14-1, it was clear that he had some skills.

He wasted no time in showing off that potential last night. Showing incredible timing and striking power, he sliced up opponent Seung Woo Choi, dropping him with a big right hand and finishing him in the first round.

Given Vallejos' only loss came in a fight with super-prospect Jean Silva - and 'El Chino' went the distance with the Brazilian - it's clear that he's got a high ceiling.

While it wouldn't be wise to rush him up the ladder, a step up from an opponent who had 4-6 record in the octagon would be fair next time out.

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#2. Da'Mon Blackshear could be a dark horse at 135 pounds

Outside of the headline bout, it's arguable that the most impressive showing last night came from bantamweight contender Da'Mon Blackshear.

'Da Monster' bounced back from a tricky first round to submit opponent Cody Gibson with a pretty slick kimura, but only after battering him bloody first.

The win was memorable for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it was actually the second kimura finish of the night, a real head-turner considering the hold has become rarer to see these days.

Secondly, it was Blackshear's second in a row, taking his overall UFC record to 4-3-1. While that doesn't seem too impressive in itself, his last two losses came to a pair of ranked contenders in Montel Jackson and Mario Bautista, and many observers believed he deserved the win over the latter.

Last night was an example of 'Da Monster' at his best, as he outworked and outgrappled his foe en route to a submission win.

If he can keep this form going, then he could well be a dark horse in a very packed division. It's time to give him another push up the ladder, potentially against a ranked opponent next time out.

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#1. Roman Dolidze has earned a big fight - Adesanya or Whittaker would be perfect

While he didn't score a highlight reel finish, it was hard not to be impressed by Roman Dolidze last night. 'The Caucasian' earned a hard-fought win over Marvin Vettori, avenging an earlier loss in the process.

Vettori had plenty of success of his own in the fight, but despite hurting the Georgian a couple of times, he couldn't really keep pace with Dolidze, who appeared to take at least three, if not four of the five rounds.

With the win being his third in a row, Dolidze should definitely move up the rankings next week. In fact, he could well take Vettori's No.8 spot.

Perhaps most importantly, though, 'The Caucasian' wasted no time in calling out his next opponent - something the UFC usually loves. He challenged a pair of former champions in Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker.

Will he get what he wants? It's hard to say, but given he beat a former title challenger handily last night, he deserves it, even if he isn't the biggest name right now. Hopefully, the UFC agrees.