Former middleweight title contender Marvin Vettori is looking to get back on track after three years of uneven performances. He’s 2-2 since losing to Israel Adesanya for the second time in 2021, and will face No. 6 ranked Brendan Allen in the main event of an April UFC Fight Night.
The No. 5 ranked Vettori has made some changes since getting handled thoroughly in a June 2023 loss to Jared Cannonier. He’s now at American Top Team and hopes to evolve and re-establish himself as a legit contender.
“I gotta go out there, put on a great performance, show that I’m a changed fighter and improved during this time,” Vettori told The Schmo in a new interview. “Just start again, my climb, climb the ladder and get another title shot. That’s the goal. Now my whole focus is on beating [Brendan Allen] in the best way possible.”
With the way the middleweight contender’s circle looks right now, Vettori believes there’s room for him to step into a title fight soon with a few good wins. He’s also no longer concerned about Adesanya, the man who rebuffed his championship aspirations twice already.
“Izzy will lose any fight,” Vettori said dismissively. “If he comes back, he’s not going to win any fight, I will tell you this. In the top three or four, he’s not gonna win any fights. I don’t think he’s going to beat Khamzat [Chimaev] either. I don’t think so. He’s gonna get taken down, I think.”
“He comes back, he’s gonna lose, I think. They’re gonna tell me I’m a hater and s—, but it’s true — the game is evolving so fast. The grappling level is just evolving, getting higher and higher and I think he can’t hang. Taking a year off now, it’s a lot.”
Even though Adesanya is on the backside of his career (at least according to Vettori, “The Italian Dream” would still fight him again if offered the opportunity.
“For sure. I ain’t gonna go anywhere,” he said. But the belt remains his priority. “I’ll be around and I’ll get that shot before later.”
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
