“It’s about relevancy” - Daniel Cormier explains the importance of Paulo Costa’s fight with Marvin Vettori at UFC Fight Night 196
Daniel Cormier believes the upcoming middleweight bout between Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori is a pivotal fight for both athletes.
On the latest edition of ESPN MMA’s DC & RC show, Cormier explained the importance of the Costa-Vettori matchup. DC suggested that Costa and Vettori are both fighting for “relevancy” in their upcoming showdown. The UFC Hall of Famer stated:
“Changeover’s more important for Marvin Vettori. If Robert Whittaker can beat ‘Izzy’ [Israel Adesanya], then Vettori becomes a viable contender once again. But if Izzy keeps his belt, it’s hard to put Vettori back in there with him with two losses to Adesanya. But it’s about relevancy. Both of these guys need this victory to stay relevant. But I just believe that with the styles of these two athletes – They’re both so physical. They’re both so gifted – That you are guaranteed to have an absolute barnburner of a fight.”
You can watch Daniel Cormier break down the highly anticipated Paulo Costa vs. Marvin Vettori fight in the video below:
Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori’s quest for UFC gold
Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori have both competed for the UFC middleweight title in the past. Costa faced reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya for the title at UFC 253 in September 2020. The Brazilian was beaten by Adesanya via second-round TKO.
On the other hand, Marvin Vettori has fought Israel Adesanya not once but twice. Their first fight took place before ‘The Last Stylebender’ won the UFC middleweight title. Vettori and Adesanya clashed at UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje in April 2018. Adesanya won the closely contested non-title bout via split decision.
Their rematch took place at UFC 263 in June and witnessed Israel Adesanya successfully defend his UFC middleweight title by defeating Marvin Vettori via unanimous decision.
Presently, Paulo Costa is scheduled to fight Marvin Vettori in a five-round middleweight bout that'll headline UFC Fight Night 196 on October 23, 2021. Meanwhile, Adesanya is expected to defend his belt in a rematch against Robert Whittaker at UFC 271 on February 12, 2022.
The rivalry between Adesanya and Whittaker appears to be heating back up 🔥 https://t.co/eQCLE1Lfph