"He’s praying to the MMA gods for a split decision" - Fans notice bizarre coincidence between Marvin Vettori's action in fights against Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya

UFC fans have pointed out a bizarre coincidence in Marvin Vettori's mannerisms towards the end of his fights against Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya.

A Reddit user recently shared a side-by-side photo from Vettori's recent fight against Robert Whittaker and his title bout against Israel Adesanya.

In both images, 'The Italian Dream' can be seen bowing down on his knees with his hands wrapped around his skull. Coincidentally, Vettori can be seen in the exact position in both fights with just 49 seconds left on the clock in the third round.

Check out the image below:

Whittaker vs Vettori (left), Adesanya vs Vettori (right)

The photo received a series of hilarious reactions from UFC fans. One user joked that it's a signature gesture that Vettori does to seek help from MMA gods wishing for a split-decision. Another fan suggested that he's trying to bait his opponents into throwing an illegal knee.

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

UFC fans react to Vettori's mannerisms during Whittaker and Adesanya fights

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What's next for Marvin Vettori after loss to Robert Whittaker at UFC Paris

Marvin Vettori came up short against Robert Whittaker, suffering a unanimous decision at UFC Paris card last Saturday. 'The Italian Dream' entered the bout as a No.2-ranked contender with hopes of building on the momentum of his decision victory over Paulo Costa last October.

In the aftermath of the fight, Marvin Vettori reacted to his decision loss by taking the mic from Michael Bisping. The 28-year-old commended his Aussie rival and apologized to his fans for letting them down (translated to English by Twitter user @phre):

"Marvin Vettori said: "sorry guys, he was really an elite opponent. I love you all, make some noise even if I lost". #UFCParis"

Vettori, 28, will now go back to the drawing board and look to work his way back into contention. Nevertheless, the Italian star will likely remain in the middleweight top 5 with the next rankings update. With a couple of wins, Vettori can get back into the title conversation.

Meanwhile, Robert Whittaker rebounded from his loss to Israel Adesanya with his masterclass performance at UFC Paris. Following the win, 'The Reaper' revealed at the press conference that he still has his eyes set on the gold and will go through everyone put in his path for another title shot.