Marvin Vettori

What’s next for Marvin Vettori after UFC Vegas 41?

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This past Saturday in the main event of UFC Vegas 41, we saw a pivotal matchup in the middleweight division. Granted, the fight took place at light heavyweight and the matchup paired former title challengers Marvin Vettori (18-5-1) and Paulo Costa (13-2).

Both men were coming into this fight off losses in UFC title shots and both needed to show that they could get back on track. Entering fight week, this fight was supposed to take place at middleweight. Then, Paulo Costa announced to the world that he wasn’t going to make weight.

From there, the UFC tried to make the fight at a catchweight of 195 pounds. Costa agreed, but then came back and said he couldn’t make that work. The UFC then scrapped that idea and proposed the fight at 205 which Costa agreed to.

Throughout all of this, Marvin Vettori said he would fight Costa at any weight. He gained a ton of respect from the UFC all week with his attitude and desire to keep the fight together regardless of Costa’s weight issues.

He fought Costa at a higher weight class and still performed incredibly well. Vettori ate Costa’s best shots and kept coming forward. His pressure, volume, and chin paid off as he ultimately walked away with a decision win at UFC Vegas 41.

What’s next after UFC Vegas 41?

Marvin Vettori is in a very interesting spot right now after his win at UFC Vegas 41. On one hand, he’s clearly one of the best middleweights in the world. Currently, The Italian Dream is ranked second according to the updated rankings.

However, with two losses to Israel Adesanya (21-1), it’s going to take a few wins to warrant another title shot. So with that, who should the UFC pair him up with? Well, it’s tricky due to the fact that most of the top contenders are booked.

Adesanya is scheduled to rematch with Robert Whittaker (23-5) early next year. Derek Brunson (23-7) and Jared Cannonier (14-5) are fighting at UFC 270 in what Dana White has called a title eliminator so whoever wins that will get the next shot.

In my eyes, there’s a couple of options. One option would be the loser of the title fight especially if the loser is Robert Whittaker. Whittaker and Vettori would be the top two contenders and both would have lost to Adesanya twice.

Another option could be the loser of the title eliminator bout. Vettori hasn’t fought either man so both would make for a compelling matchup. If he’s wanting to stay active, there’s a couple of wild card options and that’s either Sean Strickland (24-3) or Luke Rockhold (16-5).

These two were supposed to fight at UFC 268 and the winner would’ve been perfect for Vettori. However, Rockhold pulled out due to a back injury. If Vettori wants to stay active, these two wouldn’t be a bad option for The Italian Dream. Definitely something to watch for.

Marvin Vettori edges Paulo Costa at UFC Vegas 41

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Today in the main event of UFC Vegas 41, we saw a middleweight battle between former title challengers Marvin Vettori (17-5-1) and Paulo Costa (13-1). While the fight featured two top middleweights, the fight took place at light heavyweight.

Paulo Costa said earlier this week that he wouldn’t make weight for the signed bout at 185 pounds. With that, the two men agreed to fight in the light heavyweight division. Granted, this was still looked at as a battle between two top middleweights.

The fight was sensational at UFC Vegas 41 and it was a battle of styles. For Marvin Vettori, he came forward with a lot of pressure and volume. Meanwhile Paulo Costa came forward with his massive power.

Early on in the fight, Vettori was landing a lot, but the big shots came from Costa. Most notably, a massive headkick in the second round that seemed to wobble Vettori briefly. In the second round, a pivotal moment occurred when Costa lost a point with an eye poke.

The middle rounds at UFC Vegas 41 were controlled by Vettori who won the third and fourth rounds with his volume. In the fifth round, Costa came alive and really started throwing heat. Tons of huge body kicks and huge shots up top came from the Brazilian.

The fifth round and the second looked like clear rounds for Paulo Costa. Meanwhile the middle rounds looked good for The Italian Dream. In the end as the judges scored the fight (48-46, 48-46, 48-46) for Vettori.

UFC Vegas 41 Final Takeaways

The fight was incredible between these two men and it was exactly the fight that UFC fans were hoping to see. However, there are still some sour points from the week that dampen the fight for me a bit.

It’s clear that Paulo Costa should be fighting at light heavyweight. If he can’t even come within ten pounds of the middleweight limit after a year off, the UFC should move up him to light heavyweight. Honestly, he looks great physically there.

While there were bright spots for Costa and he looked much better than he did against Adesanya, tonight was all about Vettori. Vettori ate some huge shots but never stopped coming forward. His performance really summed up the entire week for him.

It’s hard not to love Marvin Vettori after this week. Not only did he pick up the win at UFC Vegas 41, but he had the attitude of just wanting to fight all week. He really showed that he was a real fighter and this week was a big week for the Marvin Vettori fan base.

UFC Vegas 41 Preview: Marvin Vettori – Paulo Costa

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Tomorrow night in the main event of UFC Vegas 41, we will see a battle of former middleweight title challengers. The Italian Dream Marvin Vettori (17-4-1) takes on Brazil’s Paulo Costa (13-1) in the main event.

The last time we saw both fighters was against Israel Adesanya. Vettori lost a decision to Adesanya a few months ago while Costa was knocked out by Adesanya last October. Now, both former title challengers will look to get back on track at UFC Vegas 41.

This fight has taken a lot of turns this week due to the weight. Costa announced just a couple of days ago that he wasn’t going to make 185 pounds at UFC Vegas 41. The two men signed up for a middleweight contest, but Costa said he couldn’t make the weight.

Vettori agreed to meet Costa at 195 pounds and the two signed a deal giving Vettori 20% of Costa’s fight purse. Then, we found out that Costa couldn’t make 195 pounds. From there, the fight shifted to a light heavyweight contest and the two men weighed in today.

UFC Vegas 41 Prediction

Paulo Costa has become his own worst enemy leading up to UFC Vegas 41. To be completely honest, I don’t know what to expect from him tomorrow night and that really puts me off from wanting to predict him.

If we were to see the best version of Paulo Costa tomorrow, we’d see a guy who pushes forward non-stop while throwing fight ending power. However, I don’t know if he’s the same guy after he lost to Israel Adesanya.

That loss to Stylebender really seems to have done a number on Costa. When it comes to Vettori, I’m expecting a lot of pressure from him and I really expect him to push the grappling early on. I think Vettori is going to try and make UFC Vegas 41 as dirty as possible.

Costa has the power to end the fight, but I just don’t have the confidence in him to pick him at the moment. I think we are going to see a relatively flat Paulo Costa which will result in Marvin Vettori winning a decision. I could be completely wrong, but I just don’t know what to expect from Costa at this point.

Prediction: Marvin Vettori by Decision

UFC Vegas 41: Paulo Costa announces he won’t make weight

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The UFC Vegas 41 main event is in a very interesting spot at the moment. Today was media day for all of the fighters and some interesting things were shared. Before getting into some of the comments, let’s rewind to just past midnight when Marvin Vettori (17-4-1) took to Twitter.

The Italian middleweight tweeted that Costa was looking for a way out of the fight. An interesting tweet that had a lot of people scratching their heads. Today, we learned a little more insight into the context of Vettori’s tweet.

Paulo Costa (13-1) took to the podium today and announced that he would not be making weight for this week’s main event. Worth noting that Costa has competed at middleweight for several years and in his last fight, he fought for the UFC middleweight title and made 185 pounds.

Costa told the media that he’s currently weighing 211 pounds just two days away from the weigh ins. The former title challenger said that he’s in favor of a catchweight fight. He said, “Maybe we can do a catchweight at 195 pounds.”

The UFC’s Options

Paulo Costa is starting to become a headache for Dana White and the UFC. This all dates back to last year when Costa had his title shot against Israel Adesanya. Prior to the Adesanya fight, Costa was looked at as a guy who does nothing but walk you down while throwing heat.

Well, he was incredibly tentative in the Adesanya fight and barely landed any strikes before getting stopped in the second round. After the fight, Costa made a number of excuses including saying that he lost because he drank too much wine the night before UFC 253.

Then, Costa agreed to face Jared Cannonier in August. However, that fight was scrapped after Costa came out and said that he wasn’t thrilled with the UFC’s financial offer to him. Dana White quickly pointed out that after his last fight and his excuses that he was in no position to demand anything.

Now, there’s this issue with the weight. The contract from day one for UFC Vegas 41 stated that this was a middleweight fight and now it sounds like Costa will not even come close to that. This will definitely be something to monitor over the coming days.

After defeating Kelvin Gastelum at UFC Vegas 34, what’s next for Jared Cannonier?

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This past Saturday at UFC Vegas 34, we saw a big time matchup in the middleweight division headline the card. Jared Cannonier (14-5) was taking on former Ultimate Fighter winner Kelvin Gastelum (17-8, 1 NC).

Both men entered the contest with a lot to prove. Gastelum was at the top of the division just a couple of years ago but he’s recently fallen on hard times. The former TUF winner was entering Saturday just 1-4 in his last five.

Jared Cannonier was looking to get back into the UFC title picture himself. Last year, Cannonier was being called out by Israel Adesanya. However, before Cannonier could get a UFC title shot against Adesanya, he had to defeat former champion Robert Whittaker.

Cannonier ultimately came up short against Whittaker and never got that shot at Adesanya. With the stakes high for both men, UFC Vegas 34 looked like it was going to deliver a great main event.

The main event did deliver a solid contest. Cannonier and Gastelum fought a very close fight throughout. However, it was Cannonier who was landing the more forceful shots throughout and even dropping Gastelum once. Gastelum’s corner thought he won, but all three judges gave the fight to the Killa Gorilla which was the right call.

What’s next after UFC Vegas 34?

After the event, Cannonier said that he wanted to be active and get a fight when he can. Fortunately for him, the UFC has a few big middleweight fights coming up that could provide the perfect opponent.

One fight to watch out for is the UFC Vegas 36 headliner between Darren Till (18-3-1) and Derek Brunson (22-7). These two contenders are both ranked inside the top ten and whoever wins next Saturday will likely be in the top five.

Pairing Cannonier with the winner would potentially give the UFC middleweight champion a fresh contender. Another main event to watch out for is the headliner between Paulo Costa (13-1) and Marvin Vettori (17-4-1).

Both of those men are coming off losses in UFC title shots. They, like Cannonier, are at the very top of the division. The winner of this matchup would provide the highest ranked opponent for Cannonier, but with them not fighting until October, there will be more of a delay.

If Cannonier is really wanting to be active, next weekend’s main event is the one to watch. If either Till or Brunson come out clean with a victory, the UFC could pair them up with Cannonier at the end of the year.

UFC books headliner between Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori

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The UFC has finalized a fun fight between two top five middleweights. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report this evening that the promotion had finalized a headliner between Paulo Costa (13-1) and Marvin Vettori (17-5-1).

The fight is expected to headline a UFC Fight Night on October 23rd. This fight has been desired by both sides and the UFC finally got the deal done. Both men are in a very similar position in the division.

Marvin Vettori got his second crack at Israel Adesanya back at UFC 263. Their rematch was for the middleweight title. Vettori had won five straight fights to earn a shot at the middleweight title.

The Italian Dream fought Adesanya to a split decision in their first fight. Having the first fight be so close gave Vettori a lot of confidence heading into UFC 263. However, their title fight was not close at all.

Adesanya stifled Vettori for all five rounds and The Italian Dream lost a lopsided decision. Now, Vettori will look to right the ship as he takes on another top contender who also suffered a similar fate against Adesanya.

UFC Fight Night Headliner

When Paulo Costa makes the walk on October 23rd it will be his first fight in over a year. His last fight came at UFC 253 when he fought Israel Adesanya for the title. An undefeated Costa was a popular upset pick, but he proved to be no match for the champion.

Adesanya completely dominated Costa and stopped him in the second round. Prior to that loss, Costa was a perfect 5-0 in the UFC. Costa had a number of excuses for the bad performance, however, at the end of the day he lost.

Now, Costa will look to seek a little redemption. There’s going to be some heat on this fight and Costa needs to show everyone that he’s still one of the best in the UFC. Whoever wins this one will be right back in the title picture.

After falling short at UFC 263, what’s next for Marvin Vettori?

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This past Saturday in the main event of UFC 263, Marvin Vettori (17-5-1) got his shot at the middleweight title. Vettori took on the middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (21-1) in a rematch from their first fight back in 2018.

In 2018, Adesanya was able to win a split decision. That split decision result actually gave Marvin Vettori a ton of confidence heading into UFC 263. That result and seeing how Jan Blachowicz beat Adesanya earlier this year had Vettori believing his victory was inevitable.

However, it wasn’t meant to be on Saturday night. Adesanya just seemed a step ahead of Vettori all night. Vettori had his legs chewed up by brutal kicks from Adesanya and Vettori really wasn’t able to get Adesanya to the ground.

There were a couple of times where Vettori landed takedowns, but nothing much resulted from them. In the end, all three judges at UFC 263 gave every round to the defending champion and Adesanya retained his title.

What’s next after UFC 263?

Since 2017, Marvin Vettori has gone 6-2-1 in his nine UFC fights. The lone man to defeat him twice is Israel Adesanya. That puts Vettori in a really tough spot in the division because even if he goes on a winning streak, a third fight is a really tough sell.

That said, what should be next for The Italian Dream? Well, after UFC 263, Vettori said that he wanted to fight Paulo Costa (13-1). Costa hasn’t fought since last year when he was dominated by Adesanya at UFC 253.

Paulo Costa has also said online that he would like to fight Marvin Vettori next. Given where both men stand in the UFC’s middleweight division, a fight between the two makes sense. They’re both near the top of the weight class and they are both coming off of title losses.

Costa has been going back-and-forth with the UFC over his pay and pulled out of his fight with Jared Cannonier to protest. At the end of the day, Costa really doesn’t have any leverage and I think he’ll ultimately be booked for a fight soon. My guess is that fight is going to be against Marvin Vettori.

Israel Adesanya shuts out Marvin Vettori at UFC 263

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In the main event of UFC 263, we saw a rematch for the middleweight title. The undisputed champion Israel Adesanya (20-1) returned to the middleweight division to take on a familiar foe in Marvin Vettori (17-4-1).

Back at UFC 259, Adesanya attempted to become a two-division world champion by moving up and challenging Jan Blachowicz. Ultimately, Blachowicz handed Adesanya his first professional loss and Adesanya came up short in his attempt to become a champ-champ.

Now, The Last Stylebender returned to his home weight class where he’s been perfect. Nobody has ever defeated Adesanya at 185 pounds and that includes Marvin Vettori. The two previously met in the UFC back in early 2018.

Adesanya won a split decision and to this day, Vettori believes he won the fight. Since then, both men have gone on impressive streaks. Vettori has strung together five consecutive wins to earn this shot at UFC 263.

UFC 263 Recap

Round 1

The UFC 263 main event starts without a touch of the gloves. Vettori takes the center of the octagon and eats a leg kick from Adesanya. Adesanya lands another calf kick as he circles on the outside. Lots of pressure from Vettori.

Jab lands for Marvin Vettori, but Adesanya lands another powerful kick. Two good kicks land for Vettori and more pressure from the challenger. Adesanya throws a kick, but Vettori catches it and lands a takedown.

Full guard here and Adesanya tries to work his way to the fence. Heavy pressure from the challenger here. Adesanya uses a scramble to get back to his feet. However, Vettori maintained a body lock and pressed Adesanya against the fence. Adesanya shrugs him off and they’re back striking.

Another leg kick lands for Adesanya. 1-2 just misses for Vettori. Vettori is using a lot of pressure, but eats another leg kick. Jab lands for Vettori and Adesanya almost lands a big shot. Big left for Vettori, but Adesanya counters with a big combination.

The UFC champion starts moving forward and throws a head kick that’s blocked. Another calf kick for Adesanya. Stiff jab for Adesanya lands and Vettori whiffs with a left. Leg kick for Vettori lands. Razor close round one, but I lean towards the champion.

Round 2

First round could’ve gone either way at UFC 263. Vettori takes the center to start the second, but he eats two consecutive massive leg kicks. Lots of pressure from Vettori, but he’s eating some counters here. Vettori hitting air here in the second.

Another leg kick from the champion finds it’s home. Two jabs land for Vettori, but again, he eats a big kick. Another leg kick and Vettori gets deep on a double leg attempt. However, Adesanya defends well and keeps it standing.

Adesanya breaks the body lock and were striking. Vettori pushes forward, but he’s not hitting Adesanya. He’s a bit out of reach. Jab lands for Marvin Vettori, but Adesanya gets out of the way of the big shots. Good counters land for the UFC champion.

Both men trade jabs as Adesanya circles. Buckling leg kick lands for Adesanya. Vettori pushes forward and lands a jab before trying for another takedown. However, Vettori cannot get Adesanya down. The round comes to a close and it’s 2-0 Adesanya at UFC 263.

Round 3

There was a serious sense of urgency in the Vettori corner here at UFC 263. Vettori gets in deep on a takedown attempt to start the third and he gets Adesanya down. The challenger gets half guard and has heavy pressure here in the third.

Adesanya looks to hip-escape while Vettori looks to pass. Vettori lands some shots to the body. Adesanya tries to spin, but Vettori has his back. Vettori looks like he’s got a rear-naked choke. It looks deep for a second, but Adesanya spins right out.

Adesanya then takes the top position and stands up. After an eye poke break, were back to striking. Good lead uppercut lands for Adesanya and a heavy leg kick behind it. Another brutal leg kick from the champion.

Vettori lands a stiff jab and he’s really pressuring the champion here. Big leg kick again lands for the UFC champion. Another one that buckles Vettori. However, Vettori keeps pushing forward. Another leg kick from the champion.

The challenger is looking a little fatigued and a leg kick sits him down. However, Vettori gets right up and pushes forward again. Good moments in the third for Vettori, but I have it 3-0 Adesanya after three at UFC 263.

Round 4

It’s do-or-die talk in the challenger’s corner here at UFC 263. The fourth round starts with more pressure from Marvin Vettori. He tries for a takedown, but nothing is home. Adesanya throws a big combination that just misses.

Vettori has him against the fence, but Adesanya just circles away and lands a leg kick. Adesanya lands another leg kick and Vettori shoots for a takedown. Vettori is deep on a shot and he gets the takedown. However, Adesanya uses the fence to reverse the position and they’re back to striking.

Powerful leg kick from the champion. Good lead right hand lands for Vettori who pushes Adesanya against the fence. However, Adesanya just shrugs him off. Head kick then leg kick lands for the champion. Jab lands for the challenger.

Low kick lands for Marvin Vettori. Both men trade low kicks, but obviously Adesanya’s did more damage. Body kick for the champion. Huge combination lands for Adesanya and Vettori pushes forward.

Vettori uses a ton of energy to try and land a takedown, however, Adesanya defends. The fourth round comes to a close and it’s a shutout for the UFC champion on my personal scorecard.

Round 5

Entering the final round at UFC 263 and Marvin Vettori needs a miracle here. Vettori pushes forward with pressure to start the fifth and he looks for a takedown. He gets Adesanya against the fence, but the champion defends well.

Vettori is just holding Adesanya against the fence and he gets a warning from the referee. Lots of boos from the crowd here. Adesanya gets the separation and were striking. Head kick lands for the champion and Vettori pushes forward.

1-2 lands for Marvin Vettori. Double jab lands for Marvin Vettori, but none of the strikes are doing much to the champion. Another big leg kick lands for Adesanya. Combination lands for the champion.

Adesanya is trying to find a finishing blow, but Vettori is defending head shots well. Jab lands for Marvin Vettori. Vettori shoots in for another takedown and he gets to the back of Adesanya briefly. However, the champion stands right back up.

A minute left here and little offense from Vettori. The referee separates the two men and Vettori goes back to the pressure. Another leg kick lands for Adesanya. 1-2 for Adesanya. The fight comes to a close and it wasn’t eventful, but it was a shutout at UFC 263 for the champion.

Israel Adesanya def. Marvin Vettori by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

UFC 263 Fight Preview: Israel Adesanya – Marvin Vettori

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Tomorrow night in the main event of UFC 263, we will see a rematch for the middleweight title. The undisputed champion Israel Adesanya (20-1) returns to the middleweight division to take on a familiar foe in Marvin Vettori (17-4-1).

Back at UFC 259, Adesanya attempted to become a two-division world champion by moving up and challenging Jan Blachowicz. Ultimately, Blachowicz handed Adesanya his first professional loss and Adesanya came up short in his attempt to become a champ-champ.

Now, The Last Stylebender is returning to his home weight class where he’s been perfect. Nobody has ever defeated Adesanya at 185 pounds and that includes Marvin Vettori. The two previously met in the UFC back in early 2018.

Adesanya won a split decision and to this day, Vettori believes he won the fight. Since then, both men have gone on impressive streaks. Vettori has strung together five consecutive wins to earn this shot at UFC 263.

Stylebender won seven straight before he came up short against Blachowicz. During that stretch, Adesanya defeated the likes of Robert Whittaker, Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, Derek Brunson, and Kelvin Gastelum. Simply put, Stylebender is one of the best that the UFC has to offer.

UFC 263 Prediction

When it comes to the main event at UFC 263, Adesanya is the betting favorite for a reason. While Marvin Vettori has been very impressive, he hasn’t gone on a streak like Adesanya. Adesanya has beaten the best of the best at 185 pounds.

That said, Jan Blachowicz did show some wrinkles in Adesanya’s game. The UFC middleweight champion is incredibly difficult to take down, but if you can get him down, he didn’t show a great ability to get back to his feet. Granted, he was fighting Jan Blachowicz and Marvin Vettori is not Jan Blachowicz.

That said, Marvin Vettori can take a few things away from that fight. If Vettori can pressure Stylebender and make this fight dirty, he can definitely create some close rounds. Is he good enough and can he do enough to win three out of five rounds?

I’m not convinced of that. I think this fight is going to be very competitive, but I think the UFC champion will have the bigger moments throughout. Adesanya really wants to finish this fight, but I think it goes the distance.

Prediction: Israel Adesanya by Unanimous Decision

Marvin Vettori aiming for a finish UFC 263 to leave no doubt he’s the best

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We are just ten days away from UFC 263 and fans are getting ready for one of the best cards of the year. In the main event, Israel Adesanya (20-1) returns to the middleweight division to defend his title against a familiar foe in Marvin Vettori (17-4-1).

The two men first fought back in April of 2018. It was just the second UFC fight for Adesanya and the fifth for The Italian Dream. That night, Adesanya was able to win a close split decision over Vettori.

You can re-watch the first fight in it’s entirety here. I believe it was a pretty clear win for Adesanya, but the split decision nature of the win is why this matchup at UFC 263 is so intriguing.

Marvin Vettori was definitely able to have success in their first matchup. Now, that was more than three years ago and both men are so much better than they used to be. Adesanya has risen to the top of the sport by becoming UFC middleweight champion.

Earlier this year, Adesanya tried to become a two-division champion by capturing the light heavyweight crown at UFC 259. Unfortunately for Stylebender, he lost a unanimous decision to Jan Blachowicz.

That said, Adesanya is still perfect at 185 pounds. Since that loss to Adesanya in 2018, Marvin Vettori has also been perfect in the UFC. After that loss, Vettori has gone on to win five in a row to earn him this shot next weekend.

Vettori aims to finish Adesanya at UFC 263

On the heels of his five-fight win streak, The Italian Dream is more confident than ever heading into UFC 263. In speaking to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Vettori made it clear that he wants to win decisively next weekend.

Vettori said, “I want to finish this guy, man. I really want to finish this guy. Leave no doubt. I think I can. But if not, he’s solid you know… He’s slippery and he’s able to get out of positions. If I’m not (able to finish him), I just have to beat him every round. I can’t get any round get close.”

Historically, UFC title fights that are close tend to favor the champion on the scorecards. Vettori understands that and he knows that he needs to make the rounds decisive to leave no doubt.

One thing I know for sure is that Vettori is going to take the fight to Adesanya at UFC 263. It’s not going to be an easy fight for either man. Adesanya is the favorite and he should be, but I fully expect The Italian Dream to push him hard next Saturday night.