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Marvin Vettori is one of the top middleweights in the UFC. He finally received his shot at the belt against UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 263, but came up short via unanimous decision.
While winning the UFC middleweight championship is obviously still the goal for the 28-year-old Italian, it might be harder for him to get another title shot while Adesanya is the champion.
Vettori and Adesanya have fought twice, with the reigning middleweight champion getting his hand raised on both occasions. Losing the rematch left Vettori in a predicament, as it is very rare for a fighter to get a third crack at an opponent having lost twice previously. All Vettori can do is keep winning in impressive fashion, and hope that Adesanya runs out of challengers, or gets dethroned.
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Vettori did just that in his recent win over Paulo Costa. Due to Costa being unable to make the 185 lbs middleweight limit, the bout was contested at light heavyweight. It turned out to be a very entertaining fight with 'The Italian Dream' coming out on top.
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This list will look at 5 potential opponents for Marvin Vettori.
#5. Marvin Vettori vs. Derek Brunson
Kicking off this list of potential opponents for Marvin Vettori is veteran UFC middleweight Derek Brunson. Since losing back-to-back fights to Jacare Souza and Israel Adesanya in 2018, Brunson has been one of the division’s most consistent fighters.
Brunson is currently on a 5-fight winning streak and has utilized his wrestling efficiently en route to those victories. His win-streak includes victories over Ian Heinisch, Kevin Holland and Darren Till. It’s been an impressive late-career resurgence for Brunson, who’ll be 38 when he steps into the octagon against Jared Cannonier at UFC 270.
Based on the current UFC middleweight rankings, Vettori vs. Brunson would make a lot of sense. Both men want another opportunity against Adesanya, who’s reportedly expected to defend his title against former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 271.
#4. Marvin Vettori vs. Jared Cannonier
Another potential opponent for Marvin Vettori is No. 3-ranked middleweight Jared ‘The Killa Gorilla’ Cannonier.
Based on how Cannonier has performed at middleweight, it’s crazy to think that he once fought at heavyweight. Cannonier joined the UFC as a heavyweight in 2015.
After a 1-1 start to his UFC career, Cannonier moved down to 205 lbs. He would experience his fair share of ups and downs, and ended up going 2-3 as a light-heavyweight. After his loss to Dominick Reyes, Cannonier once again changed weight classes. This time, Cannonier benefited from with the move and hit his stride at 185 lbs.
Cannonier won his first three middleweight bouts by TKO against top middleweights including David Branch and Jack Hermansson. However, his biggest win at middleweight was against former middleweight champion Anderson Silva, which took place in Brazil.
Cannonier vs. Vettori would be an interesting matchup. Vettori has proven how durable he is, so it’d be interesting to see whether he attempts takedowns or stands with Cannonier, who possesses one-punch knockout power.
#3. Marvin Vettori vs. Sean Strickland
If Marvin Vettori wants to get back in the cage in the first quarter of 2022, a bout with seventh-ranked Sean Strickland would make sense.
Since returning to the middleweight division, Strickland has made a strong case for himself that he belongs in the top-5. He is coming off a dominant win over Uriah Hall that saw him come away with a unanimous decision victory. The judges scored the fight 50-44, 50-45, and 49-46. The win was significant as Hall was on a 4-fight winning streak and closing in on a title shot.
Strickland was scheduled to fight former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold at UFC 268. Unfortunately, Rockhold sustained an injury and the bout was removed from the card. The outspoken American has been eager to book a fight ever since.
With Vettori being the only top 5 middleweight available, the timing could work out for Strickland if both fighters want to remain active. A Vettori vs. Strickland match-up would certainly produce a barnburner, as both men like to walk down their opponents and push the the pace.
#2. Marvin Vettori vs. Paulo Costa 2
Another possible opponent for Marvin Vettori could be a rematch with former title-challenger Paulo Costa. It was quite the debacle for Vettori when he fought Costa in a UFC Fight Night event last month. Costa showing up on fight week unable to make the 185 lbs limit made matters worse. After changing the contested weight, the fight was made official.
Vettori was given a lot of credit for fighting Costa at light-heavyweight. He had come into fight week in-shape and was prepared to make the 185 lbs middleweight limit. Vettori won the fight by unanimous decision and as a result, maintained his ranking in the middleweight division. The main event exceeded all expectations and both fighters ended up being awarded the Fight of the Night bonus.
UFC President Dana White has since stated that Costa’s future will be at light-heavyweight. However, the Brazilian and has management insist that he will return to the middleweight division eventually.
It’d be intriguing to see how the fight would go if it was contested at middleweight. If Vettori doesn’t see a path to another title shot against Adesanya, a rematch with Costa could be a viable option.
#1. Marvin Vettori vs. Robert Whittaker
Topping this list of potential opponents for Marvin Vettori is former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. With Whittaker expected to get the next title shot against Adesanya, it’s safe to say Vettori will be watching that fight very closely. It’d be safe to say that Vettori may also be rooting for Whittaker to reclaim the UFC middleweight championship.
Whittaker has returned to championship form since losing his title to Adesanya at UFC 243. ‘The Reaper’ has won three straight fights by unanimous decision over Darren Till, Jared Cannonier and Kelvin Gastelum. His win over Gastelum was most impressive as he was dominant throughout and the judges all scored the bout 50-45.
If Whittaker defeats Adesanya, it could open the door for Vettori to get another title opportunity. Vettori and Whittaker haven’t fought each other before, so it’d make sense for second-ranked middleweight Vettori to get the first shot.
