Israel Adesanya gives his official prediction on rematch with Marvin Vettori at UFC 263
Israel Adesanya has made up his mind about how he would like to beat Marvin Vettori in their middleweight title fight at UFC 263.
The bout is a rematch of their April 2018 clash, where Israel Adesanya bested Marvin Vettori with a split decision win. On a few occasions, the latter has claimed that he should have been the one to walk away with the win that night, and not 'The Last Stylebender.' That obviously did not sit well with the UFC middleweight champion, which is why he has plans to punish Marvin Vettori for five rounds when they meet again on Saturday, June 12, and prove who the better fighter is.
In a recent interview with ESPN's SportsCenter, 'The Last Stylebender' predicted the outcome of the UFC 263 main event, saying:
"He [Marvin Vettori] is a really tough guy. But I just feel like this time it's five rounds. I knew how he felt at the end of the third round. Even though I got back up from the takedown, I started to put the pressure on him. I knew how he felt and it's in the same atmosphere. He might have adapted a little better, but guess what, so have I. I have adapted a lot better. So yeah, I just want to school him 5-0 - each round, bell to bell, in every situation. On the fence, on the ground, on the standup, so once all's said and done, he can look at me and know that I'm the better fighter. Always."
Israel Adesanya also claimed that even though 'The Italian Dream' has amassed a five-fight winning streak, most of his opponents have been "no-name jobbers." In contrast, Adesanya himself has gone through the who's-who of the middleweight division.
Watch the full interview below:
Israel Adesanya: "I want him to have zero chance"
Israel Adesanya said the same thing in another interview with Helen Yee. When asked if he would only be satisfied with the result of the fight if he finishes Marvin Vettori, Adesanya said that he would be okay with a 5-nil decision as well.
"I want him to have zero chance. I want it to be like the Brad Tavares fight or the Derek Brunson fight where it's like he has zero chance and he knows like 'I had nothing for this guy, I had nothing - on the fence, in the clich, with the grappling and striking - nothing. There's nothing I could do to him, and he bested me in every single aspect of the game'," Israel Adesanya said to Helen Yee.
Israel Adesanya also dismissed the idea that Marvin Vettori has improved a lot since their last meeting.