The Middleweight division is in for a massive showdown on Saturday, June 12th at UFC 263. Israel Adesanya looks to defend his title against Marvin Vettori. The two have fought before where it ended in a split decision victory for Adesanya. Since then, “The Last Stylebender” and Vettori have created an interesting rivalry, where it got a bit testy during an interview with Michael Bisping.
The two have grown a distaste for each other, which should produce an electrifying bout. Considering the first fight went the distance and was a split decision, the rematch makes for a highly anticipated matchup. Adesanya has yet to lose in the Middleweight division and aims to achieve his fifth straight title defense. Vettori on the other hand looks to become a champion for the first time in his career and put Italy on the map of the MMA world. Let’s take a look at how these fighters stack up against each other.
UFC 263: Israel Adesanya
- Record: 20-1
- Height: 6-4
- Reach: 80.0”
- Style: Kickboxer
- Affiliation: City Kickboxing
“The Last Stylebender” is extremely tall for the Middleweight division. He’s utilized his height and reach advantages in the octagon, as he’s able to keep the distance and pick his opponents apart with accurate strikes. He has a unique style in the cage, which makes it difficult for fighters to get a feel for him during the fight. Adesanya tends to switch stances often while throwing acrobatic attacks. It keeps his opponent’s guessing, which has played a large part in maintaining his impressive record.
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The stand-up game is where he’s at his most dangerous, but don’t sleep on his skills on the mat. Adesanya routinely escapes bad situations on the ground and can get back to his feet. Although he doesn’t have any submission victories, the Middleweight champion knows how to defend himself on the ground, making him a dangerous, all-around fighter.
UFC 263: Marvin Vettori
- Record: 17-4-1
- Height: 6-0
- Reach: 74.0”
- Style: Wrestler/Jiu-Jitsu
- Affiliation: Kings MMA
“The Italian Dream” is currently on a five-fight win streak after defeating Kevin Holland by unanimous decision. Unlike Adesanya, Marvin Vettori spends most of his time on the ground. He utilizes powerful wrestling skills to get into dominant positions on the mat. We saw that first hand in his fight against Holland, as Vettori controlled the bout throughout. Additionally, Vettori is a bit of a submission artist as well. He currently has nine career wins via submission, making him a Jiu-Jitsu expert.
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Having said that, Vettori is more than capable when he’s on his feet. He fights as a southpaw, which typically bothers fighters who fight orthodox. He’s also incredibly strong and has the ability to beat up his opponents standing up. Considering he’s 6-0 with a 74.0” reach, Vettori typically likes to keep a close distance and work in some dirty boxing.
UFC 263: Adesanya-Vettori Prediction
Since the first bout went the distance and was essentially a toss-up, we can probably expect much of the same on Saturday. These two fight with very different strategies, which should make for a chess match inside the cage. Adesanya will look to keep his distance and land strikes from afar, while Vettori will try to get in the clinch, work the body, and take it to the ground. Adesanya’s best bet is to use to act as a sniper and pick his opponent apart from distance. Vettori on the other hand will want to make this a long, grueling fight for Adesanya.
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This is a classic matchup between the striker and wrestler, which tends to create some of the best fights in UFC history. Adesanya vs Vettori is as much of a mental game as it is physical. They’ll each use their strengths to gain the advantage hoping their opponent slips up and makes a mistake. These two are evenly matched and based on their previous five fights, this one has a solid chance to go the distance.
PREDICTION: Marvin Vettori wins by Unanimous Decision
