'Jokes on me until I get that strap' - Marvin Vettori is undeterred by his first UFC title fight defeat
Despite losing in emphatic fashion to Israel Adesanya at UFC 263, middleweight contender Marvin Vettori is as motivated as ever.
'The Italian Dream' posted footage on his Instagram of him already back in the gym, only 48 hours after the fight.
Vettori and Adesanya headlined last weekend's UFC 263 PPV event. The fight was a rematch with the two men having previously fought each other in 2018 whilst both were still in the early days of their UFC careers.
It was Adesanya who came out on top in the first fight, with little changing the second time out.
Marvin Vettori back on the grind already
As per Marvin Vettori's Instagram, he is already back in training and still has aspirations of claiming middleweight gold. In the video he can be heard stating the following-
"Forty-eight hours. Forty eight hours motherf****s. Forty eight hours it took me to get back to work. I'ma show you all how it's done. I'll show you all how it's done. I'm coming for that belt. Stronger than ever."
The post was also paired with the caption-
"Jokes on me until I get that strap. #theitaliandream #betterthanever."
The Italian Dream 'well and alive'
Despite the loss, Marvin Vettori remains in good spirits. In another post he recently put up, he stated that-
"Head’s up, morale is high, a lot of good, some mistakes to be addressed. One thing for sure The Italian Dream is well and alive. Thank you all for the support #theitaliandream."
What is notable from this post is Vettori's admission that there are mistakes that need addressing.
In the immediate aftermath of the fight, Vettori and Adesanya can be seen conversing. Adesanya later revealed that Vettori had stated that he believed he had won the fight.
This is despite the judges, commentators and the majority of the MMA community giving Adesanya the victory decisively.
The fact that Marvin Vettori is now willing to accept that there are mistakes that need to be addressed is undoubtedly a positive sign for the future of 'The Italian Dream'.
Marvin Vettori is targeting a fight against Paulo Costa next. The Brazilian brawler recently dropped out of a matchup with Jared Cannonier and is now looking for a new opponent.
A win for either man should this matchup be made is likely to at the very least set them up for a number one contender shot.
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