5 potential opponents for Marvin Vettori

#2. Marvin Vettori vs. Paulo Costa 2

UFC 253 Adesanya v Costa: Weigh-Ins

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.

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#1. Marvin Vettori vs. Robert Whittaker

UFC 243 Whittaker v Adesanya

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.