Marvin Vettori Calls For October Rematch With Israel Adesanya After UFC Vegas 23 Win
No ifs, ands, or maybes — Marvin Vettori wants another Octagon confrontation with reigning middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya as soon as October — off the back of his one-sided unanimous decision win over Kevin Holland at UFC Vegas 23.
Headlining tonight’s UFC Apex facility event, Kings MMA mainstay, Vettori remained on the ABC network card following the fallout of originally scheduled opponent, Darren Till — drawing the aforenoted, Holland who made a twenty-one-day turnaround following a UFC Vegas 22 main event against Derek Brunson.
Putting a four-fight streak on the line, the Trento native had headlined a UFC Fight Night event last December against Jack Hermansson, himself drafting in on short notice on his way to a unanimous decision victory.
Scoring takedown after takedown the more his main event clash with Riverside native, Holland rolled on, Rafael Cordeiro student, Vettori took home a unanimous decision win on all three judges’ scorecards — 50-44 on all three, in fact.
With the victory, Vettori notches his fifth consecutively, with his most recent loss coming in the form of a close split decision defeat to middleweight kingpin, Adesanya back at UFC Fight Night Glendale in April of 2018.
Entering the tie sitting at #6 in the official middleweight pile ahead of tonight’s main event, Vettori made no qualms about his post-fight callout — offering up his interest in an October title rematch against the City Kickboxing mainstay.
“I want (Israel) Adesanya next,” Vettori told former two-weight UFC champion, Daniel Cormier, during his post-fight interview. “I will improve by then — by the next fight for sure. In October, I want to fight him. I think I deserve it, I have the biggest — the longest win streak right now, other people were supposed to show up and they didn’t. And now I’m on a winning streak like I said, and I’ve put on winning performances, dominant performances. I want this title, man.“
Prior to Vettori’s win over Holland tonight — and even before the latter’s short notice turnaround, the defending champion, Adesanya had openly set his sights on the above-mentioned, Till, claiming that if the former welterweight title chaser could overcome Vettori — well then he’s earned his title shot.
Slated to return to the division for his next Octagon outing, counter striking master, Adesanya dropped his first professional loss in mixed martial arts back in March, in the form of a unanimous decision defeat to Jan Blachowicz in his attempt to become a two-weight champion held simultaneously — unsuccessfully adding light heavyweight spoils to his trophy cabinet.
