One of the most exciting Middleweights to watch in the UFC is Italy’s Marvin Vettori. Vettori is coming off a win against Paulo Costa at Light Heavyweight due to Costa missing weight. Vettori is rumored to be returning to the UFC octagon in June when he faces off against Robert Whittaker. Vettori is a Jiu Jitsu Brown Belt, but also can strike with the best of the fighters in the Division. He hopes to make it two in a row when he faces Whittaker and this is probably one of the best matchups that’s not a title fight in the Middleweight division.
Vettori was born September 20, 1993 in Trento, Italy. He is the oldest of three siblings. He started his journey into the Martial Arts World when he was young, starting Kickboxing at age thirteen. He’d soon turn his focus to training MMA after watching MMA fighters on television. Vettori had a hard time training MMA at first due to the fact that he was in Italy and at the time Italy didn’t have much of an MMA scene and he had to go to six different gyms to train. He’d eventually move to London to train, but would find that the U.S. would make a better home and he’d land at King’s MMA training under Rafael Cordeiro where he still currently trains.
Vettori made his professional MMA debut against Alessandro Grandis in July of 2012 for the New Generation Tournament in Seveso, Italy. Unfortunately for Vettori he didn’t get the win. He’d then face Tom Richards in the UCMMA Promotion winning by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke.) Matt Robinson would be next for Vettori in November of 2013, he’d again get the Submission victory again by Rear-Naked Choke. Vettori would then face Luca Ronchetti winning again by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke.) Radovan Uskrt would be next for the young Italian, but this time he’d win by slapping on a Triangle Choke. He’d fight in many other promotions, even capturing the Venator FC Welterweight Championship before it was stripped.
Alberto Uda would be Vettori’s first opponent when he stepped into the UFC Octagon for the first time. He’d get the victory with a Submission (Guillotine Choke.) He’d then face Antônio Carlos Júnior losing the three round contest by Unanimous Decision. Vitor Miranda would be next for Vettori he’d secure the victory via a Unanimous Decision. He’d then face Omari Akhmedov this fight would end in a Majority Draw. The rising MMA assassin Israel Adesanya would be next for Vettori Unfortunately it would be a Split Decision loss for Vettori. He’d go on a five fight win streak before meeting Adesanya again for the Middleweight title at UFC 263 in June of 2021 unfortunately for Vettori, Adesanya would successfully defend his title. In his next outing he faced Paulo Costa at Light Heavyweight.
Vettori is set to face Robert Whittaker at UFC 275 in Kallange, Singapore at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Hopefully he gets the win against Bobby Knuckles.
MMA Aficionado 