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Marvin Vettori praised as well as criticized Paulo Costa after their thrilling five-round war at UFC Fight Night 196. ‘The Italian Dream’ notably asserted that it was Costa’s kicks that impressed him the most.
Vettori reiterated, however, that the Brazilian MMA star should’ve cut down to middleweight for their fight, as they’d initially agreed to do. During the post-fight octagon interview with Michael Bisping, Marvin Vettori stated:
“I wanted to finish him, but f**k, this guy punches hard, man. He kicked a part of my arms – But good work; another improving experience for me. And it’s always good, like, I know I have the biggest heart. I know I have the biggest will. And when it goes to the fourth, fifth round, there’s no way; nobody can keep up. But a lot of people were saying how he’s not gonna be ready. I feel a lot of it was a trick. He didn’t wanna cut weight, but he actually came pretty ready.”
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“The kicks were the most impressive thing from him, yeah. He was kicking full power. Even when I grabbed him, you can feel like the weight. He was big, for sure. But, I’m ready. And when I’m ready, there’s nothing that I can’t do.” Regarding the last-minute weight class changes caused by Costa, Vettori said the following to Bisping, “Like you would say, he’s a c**t. Because he should’ve made weight. It’s a respect to all of us. But I get to buy myself another watch with his money. And I still got the win, and I’m proud of it.”
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Michael Bisping asked Marvin Vettori what he wanted next and whether the fire to capture UFC gold still burns in his heart. Vettori replied by stating that he does aim to win the UFC middleweight title eventually. That said, ‘The Italian Dream’ added that he’s not “over-chasing the belt right now.”
The 28-year-old emphasized that he wants to keep fighting the best and keep improving. The talented middleweight mainstay also thanked his friends and family back in Mezzocorona, Italy, for their support.
Watch Marvin Vettori’s octagon interview below:
Can Marvin Vettori earn a third fight against ‘The Last Stylebender’?
The UFC middleweight title is presently held by Israel Adesanya, who’s set to defend it in a rematch against Robert Whittaker at UFC 271 on February 12, 2022. Marvin Vettori has fought Adesanya twice, losing both times, via split decision back in 2018 and via unanimous decision in June this year.
That said, Marvin Vettori just defeated the No. 2-ranked UFC middleweight Paulo Costa via unanimous decision. If 'The Italian Dream' manages to beat No. 3-ranked Jared Cannonier or No. 4-ranked Derek Brunson, he could likely earn a third fight against ‘The Last Stylebender’. If Robert Whittaker wins the title at UFC 271, Vettori could perhaps earn a fight against him in the near future.
