5 important questions that will be answered in the Israel Adesanya vs Marvin Vettori fight at UFC 263 

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Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori [Photo courtesy: @ufc on Twitter]

Israel Adesanya will meet Marvin Vettori at UFC 263 in a rematch of their split decision in 2018. This time, however, the stakes are much higher as the UFC middleweight title will be up for grabs.

But Saturday night's main event will be more than just a title fight as far as Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori are concerned. It is an opportunity to back up all the smack talk that has transpired and to prove, once and for all, who the better fighter is.

As was apparent in their first go-round, Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori presented an interesting clash of styles that made for a close fight. But their initial encounter was more than three years ago and a lot has changed since then.

Thankfully, UFC 263 is just around the corner to put an end to the doubts surrounding the heated rivalry. Here are five important questions that will be answered when Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori meet in the octagon once again.

#5 Will personal issues affect how the fight goes?

It's no secret that both men will be looking for a finish when they lock horns Saturday night. A decision win would satisfy neither man as both vowed to end all doubts by scoring a decisive finish. That's just how much they dislike each other:

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"Everybody believes in this guy's hype and I'm here to just derail it one more time, once and for all. Settle the score," Vettori said.

"This time I'm gonna finish the job. Last time you had hope. You had hope because one dumb judge gave you that f***ing fight when everyone else knows that you lost that fight," Adesanya clapped back.

While many fighters use rage as a motivating factor, it could also lead to downfall. Taking raw emotion into the octagon has its pitfalls as it can cause a fighter to lose focus. Case in point: Cody Garbrandt's first fight with TJ Dillashaw.

#4 How much have Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori improved since the first fight?

UFC 248 Adesanya v Romero

Without a doubt, both Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori are far better versions of the fighters they were when they first crossed paths. But the champion firmly believes that he's far and away the superior mixed martial artist:

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"If you look at my improvements over how many fights and his improvements over how many fights, it's vastly different. We're not the same. We're not even in the same stratosphere, not even in the same realm," Adesanya said during a joint interview with his challenger.

'The Last Stylebender' will have the opportunity to prove that claim on fight night. If what Israel Adesanya says is true, then he should be able to prevent Marvin Vettori's advances.

The champion boasts an astounding takedown defense rate of 82 percent. But Marvin Vettori was successful in taking Adesanya down twice, just the same. Adesanya can't allow that to happen if he hopes to win convincingly this time.

#3 Who will make better adjustments?

Marvin Vettori takes Kevin Holland down

Now that they're familiar with one another, each man knows what to expect out of their rival. It will be a matter of who can make the most effective adjustments to deny their opponent of implementing his strategy.

Sticking to their strengths is the clearest path to victory for both men. Israel Adesanya is undoubtedly the superior striker, while Marvin Vettori clearly has the edge in grappling.

No doubt Vettori is a respectable striker, which is no surprise as he trains with striking whiz Rafael Cordeiro at Kings MMA. That being said though, Vettori has to keep in mind that there's no way he's beating Adesanya if he allows the fight to turn into a kickboxing match.

On top of that, he has already found the winning formula in round three of their first fight. His late rally, however, came a little too late as he landed on the wrong side of the split decision.

#2 How well can Israel Adesanya recover from a loss?

UFC 259: Blachowicz v Adesanya

Israel Adesanya's air of invincibility is gone after he suffered his first career defeat at the hands of UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259.

The Polish star used his size and wrestling advantage to beat Israel Adesanya, who will return to middleweight against a fighter who uses a similar style in Vettori. Not only that, Vettori will come in with a lot of momentum as he's riding a five-fight winning streak.

While it's unfair to criticize Adesanya for losing to a champion of a heavier weight class, questioning how well he can bounce back from a loss is a valid concern. After all, we've never seen him do it before.

#1 Will this rivalry end at UFC 263?

The answer to this question is simple. If Adesanya goes up to 2-0 against Vettori, that would be enough to shut the door on 'The Italian Dream' for good. But if Vettori avenges his loss, we might be looking at a trilogy bout down the line.

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