5 potential opponents for Marvin Vettori
Marvin Vettori is one of the top middleweights in the UFC. He finally received his shot at the belt against UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 263, but came up short via unanimous decision.
While winning the UFC middleweight championship is obviously still the goal for the 28-year-old Italian, it might be harder for him to get another title shot while Adesanya is the champion.
Vettori and Adesanya have fought twice, with the reigning middleweight champion getting his hand raised on both occasions. Losing the rematch left Vettori in a predicament, as it is very rare for a fighter to get a third crack at an opponent having lost twice previously. All Vettori can do is keep winning in impressive fashion, and hope that Adesanya runs out of challengers, or gets dethroned.
Vettori did just that in his recent win over Paulo Costa. Due to Costa being unable to make the 185 lbs middleweight limit, the bout was contested at light heavyweight. It turned out to be a very entertaining fight with 'The Italian Dream' coming out on top.
This list will look at 5 potential opponents for Marvin Vettori.
#5. Marvin Vettori vs. Derek Brunson
Kicking off this list of potential opponents for Marvin Vettori is veteran UFC middleweight Derek Brunson. Since losing back-to-back fights to Jacare Souza and Israel Adesanya in 2018, Brunson has been one of the division’s most consistent fighters.
Keep sleeping he coming @DerekBrunson https://t.co/UoD3RpSXnR
Brunson is currently on a 5-fight winning streak and has utilized his wrestling efficiently en route to those victories. His win-streak includes victories over Ian Heinisch, Kevin Holland and Darren Till. It’s been an impressive late-career resurgence for Brunson, who’ll be 38 when he steps into the octagon against Jared Cannonier at UFC 270.
DOMINATION 😳
💢 @DerekBrunson calls for a rematch with the champ after submitting Till. #UFCVegas36 https://t.co/0q8dzG2z2u
Based on the current UFC middleweight rankings, Vettori vs. Brunson would make a lot of sense. Both men want another opportunity against Adesanya, who’s reportedly expected to defend his title against former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 271.