UFC Vegas 23: Luckless Marvin Vettori has had 7 fights canceled in less than 2 years
Marvin Vettori is having a hard time in the UFC, at least when it comes to finding an opponent to fight.
Inside the Octagon, the story is different. 'The Italian Dream' is riding a four-win streak, with his last two appearances even being awarded Performance and Fight of the Night, respectively.
After an impressive win over Jack Hermansson at UFC Vegas 16, the Italian mixed martial artist earned enough praise for a fight against top-five contenders in the middleweight division.
The UFC booked Marvin Vettori to face Darren Till, No. 5 in the 185 lb rankings, and the Italian was planning for a title shot after the fight in case he had emerged victorious.
However, 'The Gorilla' had to withdraw from the bout after breaking his collarbone this week during training. It was the seventh time in less than two years that Marvin Vettori was denied a fight.
Kevin Holland has already offered the UFC to step into Till's place for the fight. Marvin Vettori has apparently accepted the proposal, answering "let's go" to Holland soon after the challenge.
Marvin Vettori's unlucky streak
Marvin Vettori's bad luck started right after his defeat to Israel Adesanya at UFC on Fox 29. The Italian was suspended for six months after he tested positive for osterine.
It eventually turned out that the positive test was the result of a contaminated dietary supplement. With the unfair delay of his career, Vettori was booked to fight Cezar Ferreira.
After winning the fight, the UFC scheduled him to face Andrew Sanchez at UFC Fight Night 158. However, the bout had to be postponed for a month after Sanchez contracted an eye infection.
The pandemic also took its toll on Marvin Vettori's career. He had a bout against Darren Stewart and then another with Karl Roberson, both being affected by the restrictions.
Rescheduled to face Roberson again a month later, the bout was pulled off once more as Vettori's opponent contracted a case of rhabdomyolysis.
Linked to a rematch with Omari Akhmedov, the UFC quickly abandoned that plan to book him for a fight with Ronaldo Jacare Souza. Because Kevin Holland, who would face Jack Hermansson, tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the fight, the UFC decided to swap Vettori for Holland.