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How To Win With Sport Jiujitsu In The UFC
Roman Dolidze is showing the UFC how a modern sport jiujitsu game can work in MMA
William
February 2nd, 2024
First Things First
Roman Dolidze is an ADCC trials winner, top UFC middleweight, and all around awesome action fighter. Today we’re going to look at his unique grappling style and discuss why it makes his offense so potent and interesting. If you want to see how a UFC fighter can make leg locks work, check this out.
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Table of Contents
Sport Jiu-Jitsu In MMA
Undoubtedly, the most frequent question in Brazilian jiu-jitsu gyms is, does this stuff actually work? Yes, the joint locks will hurt your opponent, and the chokes will render them unconscious, but what about in a fight? What will happen to my puny jiujitsu when someone starts punching?
As someone who received a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu only after finding their way to the sport through MMA, I can unequivocally say yes. My general bias is that techniques never stop “working”, you just have to modify how and when you apply them for the sport you will be implementing them in.
When we look at Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques we need to ask, how can these be modified for MMA? How can Brazilian jiu-jitsu be used to prevent your opponent from hurting you from the top? Can these techniques be used to hurt your opponent from the bottom?
The subject of today’s article is the emphatic answer to that second question.
Roman Dolidze
Roman Dolidze is a ridiculously exciting athlete. More than 80% of Dolidze’s fights have ended by stoppage, and his last three wins ended by (T)KO. Reading that makes you assume he’s a striker. Then you go a little deeper on his record and see his first three wins were submissions with two of those being heel hooks. Dolidze is an all-out action fighter that demands a closer look.
Dolidze comes from the wrestling-heavy Caucasus region. Before Dolidze found himself in the UFC, he was competing in grappling.
According to him, Dolidze didn’t even begin training grappling until his 20’s. Even with that late start, Dolidze qualified for the Olympics of submission grappling, the ADCC World Championships.
ADCC generally favors takedowns, wrestling, and top control. You’d assume Roman’s previous sporting success and background would mean he’s primarily a strong wrestler, but you’d be wrong.
Roman’s Grappling Career
Dolidze cut his teeth on obscure wrestling mats in the former USSR. That makes finding quality footage of his grappling career relatively hard to come by. What we can see gives us an indication of what his style was going to evolve into.
Missed Takedown → Omoplata → Knee Bar Attempt → Toe Hold
 |  |
This whole match is split into these two clips. Dolidze shoots on a takedown, misses it, and immediately inverts. Dolidze’s opponent tries to grab him and hold him down so Dolidze throws his legs over his opponent’s arm to secure the omoplata.
Omoplatas are hard to finish in high level matches. Dolidze’s opponent does what many do and starts to stand and lift him.
Dolidze uses the space to enter his opponent’s exposed legs. He rolls onto a knee bar before grabbing the toe hold finish. Beautiful use of an upper body threat to open up a lower body submission.
Later in his grappling career, Dolidze took fellow UFC fighter Nikita Krylov. This was during Krylov’s first UFC stint.
Butterfly Guard Pull → Outside Heel Hook → 5050 → Inside Heel Hook  | Dolidze pulls to butterfly guard. Dolidze elevates Krylov to attack an outside heel hook. Krylov works to stand while Dolidze inverts to continue attacking. Krylov stands before falling back on an ankle lock. They both roll and Krylov’s foot goes across his body so Dolidze counters with an inside heel hook. |
This should go without saying - don’t trade straight ankle locks for heel hooks.
Watching Dolidze’s grappling career makes a few things obvious. Dolidze is not afraid to be on bottom, he knows how to use submissions to advance his position, and he’ll sacrifice position to win the scramble. Lose the small battles to win the war. Dolidze carried these tactic with him into his UFC career.
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