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Jared Cannonier has put forth his take regarding the highly-anticipated matchup between himself and Marvin Vettori. A five-round middleweight bout featuring Cannonier and Vettori is scheduled to headline the UFC Fight Night card that'll take place on June 17, 2023.
In his latest interview with The Schmo, Cannonier was asked what the most difficult aspect of securing the victory against Vettori would be. 'The Killa Gorilla' responded by alluding to the fact that Vettori is widely regarded as one of the most resilient fighters in the UFC today.
Additionally, the American MMA stalwart suggested that 'The Italian Dream' possesses a presence of mind and incredible cardio. Expounding upon their pivotal 185-pound matchup, Cannonier stated:
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"Well, Marvin is resilient. He's always ever-present in the fight. He doesn't take time off. He doesn't get tired. So, yes; on top of that, he's hard to finish. Resilient, right? So, he has that perseverance in him too. So, if he sees an opening, he's definitely going to try to jump through it with both fist and feet and all that good stuff. But I've prepared to fight the best in the world. And I'm ready for whatever he's going to bring."
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Watch Cannonier discuss the topic at 1:35 in the video below:
Both Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori have previously competed for UFC gold. Cannonier challenged Israel Adesanya for the latter's UFC middleweight title in July 2022. The fight witnessed Adesanya outwork 'The Killa Gorilla' en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Meanwhile, Marvin Vettori too was beaten by Israel Adesanya. Vettori faced 'Izzy' twice, losing via split decision in April 2018 and by unanimous decision in June 2021. The latter of the two Adesanya-Vettori matchups had the UFC middleweight title at stake.
The Jared Cannonier vs. Marvin Vettori matchup could have UFC middleweight title implications
Following his loss against Israel Adesanya, Jared Cannonier returned to the win column by beating Sean Strickland in December 2022. In what was his most recent fight, Cannonier emerged victorious via split decision.
On the other hand, after his loss to 'Izzy' in June 2021, Marvin Vettori defeated Paulo Costa via unanimous decision in October 2021. 'The Italian Dream' subsequently lost to Robert Whittaker via unanimous decision in September 2022. In his last octagon outing, Vettori beat Roman Dolidze via unanimous decision in March 2023.
The consensus is that the winner of the Jared Cannonier vs. Marvin Vettori matchup could enter the UFC middleweight title picture. Presently, a number-one contender's middleweight matchup between Robert Whittaker and Dricus du Plessis is set to transpire at UFC 290 on July 8, 2023.
It's believed that the Whittaker-du Plessis winner would face UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya for the title next. Moreover, the Cannonier-Vettori matchup's winner could possibly be next in line for a title shot or, at the very least, a number-one contender's matchup.
