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UFC 263 in June sees one of the promotion's most active champions in Israel Adesanya defend his middleweight title against Marvin Vettori.
Adesanya and Vettori have met in the UFC before, when the former clinched a split decision victory. While 'The Last Stylebender' will look to put his standing as the king of the middleweights beyond doubt, Vettori will have his eye on revenge apart from the strap.
However, the UFC 263 bout between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori might prove to be a damp squib. Here are three reasons why.
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#3 Israel Adesanya's undefeated aura has dimmed
Israel Adesanya had the opportunity to become the fifth simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history when he took on light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259 in March.
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What followed was a rather insipid performance from one of the UFC's biggest stars. Even the pre-fight walkout was surprisingly dull, as Blachowicz used his superior wrestling to clinch a decision victory over Adesanya.
The fight was the first loss of Adesanya's professional career. And while he's still a world-class fighter, the Nigerian-born Kiwi has slipped down to #4 on the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings and has had his undefeated aura dim significantly.
Adesanya is one of the biggest draws in the UFC and rakes in PPV numbers like few others in the promotion. But his loss to Blachowicz has set his marketability back, at least temporarily.
#2 The first fight between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori may have set the template
In the first fight between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori, the former ended up on the right side of a close split-decision victory. Vettori landed only seven strikes less than Adesanya and landed two takedowns when compared to his opponent's zero.
The first round of the three-round event saw Vettori rely on the clinch to take Adesanya down, with 'The Last Stylebender' stuffing both attempts. But as the fight wore on, 'The Italian Dream' decided his best course of action would be to shoot explosively and maintain control from top position.
Vettori landed two takedowns in the third round, holding Adesanya down fairly comfortably with his strength and positional awareness. This will probably ensure that the mystery surrounding what will happen in the rematch has dissipated a little bit.
In other words, the gameplan both fighters are expected to follow is all but known. More on that.........
#1 Marvin Vettori is expected to resort to his wrestling right from the outset
Israel Adesanya's wrestling has improved considerably over the course of his time in the UFC, with his kickboxing background being the base on which his MMA game has been built. But his loss to Blachowicz exposed flaws, as the Pole repeatedly took him down and used his size advantage to dominate from top position.
The fight appears to have given Vettori the blueprint to best Adesanya. The 27-year-old is expected to use his ability to close the distance and explosively take his opponent down, as he did in his previous fight against Kevin Holland where he landed 11 takedowns.
Wrestling is an entertaining art, but there is a case to be made that it pales in comparison to striking. And the fireworks that are usually guaranteed in a fight involving Israel Adesanya may not make an appearance, as Vettori won't be too keen on trading leather with arguably the best striker in MMA right now.
However, it must be said that wrestling alone won't contribute to the entertainment value of the UFC 263 main event. It also comes down to how aggressive Vettori is in top position and Adesanya is with his transitions from the bottom, assuming of course that the fight reaches the mat in the first place.
Will Israel Adesanya's takedown defense hold up and contribute to a "y'all must've forgot" moment? Or will Marvin Vettori have his crowning moment after an inspirational surge up the UFC middleweight rankings? Only time will tell.
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