Marvin Vettori believes he has done enough to earn a rematch with UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya.
Less than three weeks after suffering a dominant unanimous decision loss to Derek Brunson, Holland stepped in on short notice to face Vettori in the UFC Vegas 23 main event in the hope of a turning things around quickly.
Vettori however followed the game plan laid out by Brunson last month to beat Holland in a similar manner. In his post-fight interview (as transcribed by MMA Fighting) though, ‘The Italian Dream’ said that he wasn’t happy with his performance as he was looking for the finish, but thinks the win was dominant enough to earn him a title shot.
Israel Adesanya Callout
“Listen, I’m not too happy with what I did in there,” Vettori said. “I wanted to finish this guy and I wasn’t able to but it was a dominant win. I’m not the happiest right now but I keep winning, I keep progressing and I do it dominantly.
“I want Adesanya next. October, I want to fight him. I think I deserve it. I have the longest win streak right now. I put on winning performances. Dominant performances. I want this title.”
Robert Whittaker vs Kelvin Gastelum
There’s another key middleweight fight taking place between Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum this weekend in the UFC Vegas 24 main event, and both fighters are eyeing the next shot at the title with a big win.
During the UFC Vegas 23 post-fight press conference however, Vettori said that he deserves to fight for the title more than Whittaker and Gastelum.
“I want Dana [White] to give me a ticket for me to sit next to him to watch the fight [between Whittaker and Gastelum], and that fight will say a lot,” Vettori said. “But regardless, I think I’m next in line, and I deserve it. I’m next, man. Nobody has the winning streak that I have, all my opponents have been solid, and I’m next.”
Should he get the chance to sit next to Dana White at UFC Vegas 24, Vettori said he will tell him that he’s the next in line to fight for the title.
“I want to tell him I’m next in line,” Vettori said. “I’m first. I want to say, ‘Dana, look. I’m here. I’m next.’”
Five Straight Wins
Since losing a split-decision to Adesanya in 2018, Vettori has gone on a five-fight win streak, which he believes should earn him a rematch with ‘The Last Stylebender’.
“Five wins straight, accepting anybody at any time, always showing up, always making weight, never complaining about nothing, and I just beat these guys very dominantly,” Vettori explained. “I leave no doubt. The last fight I had with Adesanya was the closest fight he’s ever had, and in my eyes, I still won it. That fight has to be made again. I don’t think Robert Whittaker is that hungry.”
Game Plan Against Holland
Talking about his wrestling-heavy game plan at UFC Vegas 23, Vettori said that Holland was asking to be taken down, and he couldn’t let the opportunities pass.
“He was just throwing himself in, and he was there,” Vettori said. “If you want to smother yourself and throw yourself on me, I’m going to wrestle, because I have good wrestling. At the end of the day, I’m here to win. I’m the most versatile fighter. I can do everything. If you give it to me, I’ll take it.”
Although Vettori feels he could have done better, he’s still pleased he put on a dominant performance against Holland.
“I expect perfection,” Vettori said. “I expect me going out and breaking the guy, and sometimes, I feel a little like I fell a little bit short of my expectations. But that short is still a great performance, a very dominant performance.
“If he [jumps into the clinch], there’s not much of a point for me to get off that and risk short elbows when I have such an advantage in the wrestling.”
Do you think Marvin Vettori deserves to fight UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya more than Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum?
See also:
