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Marvin Vettori continues to impress after outclassing middleweight standout Kevin Holland at UFC on ABC 2.
It's no secret that Marvin Vettori's goal is to reach the mountain top of the 185-pound weight class. After bagging his fifth win in a row, the Italian took another step closer to a title shot.
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However, there are a few men ahead of him in the line of challengers vying for a shot at Israel Adesanya's belt. A title opportunity for Vettori's next fight is unlikely, but he can solidify his status as the number one contender if he can add another notable name to his hit list.
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On that note, let's take a look at three fighters who are possible next opponents for Marvin Vettori.
#3 Marvin Vettori vs. Derek Brunson
What's in store for Marvin Vettori after beating Kevin Holland? Perhaps fighting Derek Brunson – another guy who has defeated Kevin Holland recently.
Marvin Vettori fought Holland with the same strategy that Brunson employed three weeks ago against 'The Trailblazer'. Vettori exploited Holland's deficient wrestling defense to neutralize his punching power. More than that, the Italian had no trouble doing so because of his significant size advantage.
Brunson, meanwhile, is on a multiple-fight winning streak himself. He's won four in a row after outgrappling Holland last March. On top of that, Brunson's last defeat – just like Vettori – came against current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
There are too many similarities between Marvin Vettori and Derek Brunson to ignore. An eventual showdown between the two surging stars should be an inevitability, at this point.
#2 Marvin Vettori vs. Darren Till
Originally, Marvin Vettori's opponent was supposed to be British UFC star Darren Till. However, a broken collarbone forced Till to withdraw from the fight and Vettori moved on to fight Holland.
Coming off a disappointing loss to former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker, Till had a chance to prove that he belongs in the upper echelon of the 185-pound weight class against Vettori. On the other hand, Vettori was eager to pounce on the opportunity to announce his arrival by defeating an established name like Till.
What makes a Till-Vettori fight so intriguing is that it could really go either way. While Marvin Vettori was a -170 favorite coming into the fight, Till would have been a very dangerous matchup for him.
Marvin Vettori would most likely take the role of aggressor, move forward, and try to take his opponent down as he usually does. Till, however, is an excellent defensive wrestler, stopping 82% of his opponent's takedown attempts.
On top of that, Till is a very accurate striker – something Vettori could have had trouble with. Till connects with 42% of his total strikes and lands 2.27 significant strikes per minute.
If Till can recover in time for when Marvin Vettori is ready to fight again, maybe fans will get to see the matchup after all.
#1 Marvin Vettori vs. Robert Whittaker
Marvin Vettori accomplished an impressive feat after winning five straight fights in the Octagon. However, he arguably only has wins over a handful of notable opponents. Only Jack Hermansson and Kevin Holland stand out on the list of fighters that Marvin Vettori beat.
If Marvin Vettori changes that, going up against ex-UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker would be the way to go. Marvin Vettori would undeniably be seen as the underdog in a potential fight against Whittaker. But if Vettori really is the best middleweight in the UFC like he claims he is, upsetting Whittaker should not be a problem for him.
Robert Whittaker is scheduled to face off against Kelvin Gastelum later this month. 'The Reaper' is expected to win as he'll go against a late replacement after his intended opponent Paulo Costa pulled out of the fight.
Ideally, a win over Gastelum propels Whittaker to a championship rematch against Israel Adesanya. But if things shake out differently for him, a date with Marvin Vettori with a title shot on the line is the next best thing.
