No. 3 ranked middleweight contender Marvin Vettori is up next to challenge UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya for the belt June 12 at UFC 263.
The stacked card will take place at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Coincidentally enough, it will be in the same arena where Vettori’s first fight with Adesanya took place just a little over three years ago, when Vettori lost Adesanya by split decision.
As he looks toward his chance at middleweight gold, Vettori said he feels like he is at the best point in his career.
“Camp is pretty much over and I feel the best I’ve ever felt technically, and mentally I’m in the right place. I couldn’t not be the best of myself, the best version of myself for an occasion like this,” Vettori said to ESPN. “I did the extra on everything, and I am the best version of myself and I’m coming to conquer. I’m coming to win that belt, and I’m coming to be the first Italian UFC champion ever.”
Vettori added that he was a step ahead of all of his past opponents, and with Adesanya, there will be no exception.
“They’re always a step behind. Like, these people that I’m fighting, they’re always a step behind and even Israel being the champion, he’s gonna be a step behind,” Vettori said. “He’s gonna work on whatever he has seen in my previous fight and I’m gonna come out a completely different fighter.
“Even though it’s just two months [since my last fight], I have the ability to do that because I’m so complete. There’s no way they can prepare for this. There’s just no way. Because how can you prepare for something that you haven’t seen? But the level that I’m at, and the well-roundedness that I have, it gives me the ability to do that, and that’s what I’m gonna do. I’m sure I’m gonna come out and he’s gonna be like, ‘This is not what the hell I was expecting.’”
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Vettori did not give a prediction, but ‘The Italian Dream’ did express his desire to finish Adesanya, despite giving his opponent his credit.
“I want to finish this guy, man. I really want to finish this guy Israel and leave no doubt and I think I can,” Vettori said. “But if not, he’s solid. He’s solid in his way of fighting, he’s solid. Like I said he’s slippery, he’s able to get away from positions. But if not, I just beat him every round. I can’t let any round get close. I can’t let any round be close. I’ll bring the fight for sure.”
Vettori’s rematch against Adesanya for the middleweight title headlines a main card that includes an intriguing co-main event and another exciting five round fight on the main card. Including a flyweight title rematch between flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno along with a welterweight bout between no. 3 ranked contender Leon Edwards and one of the brightest stars in the UFC, Nate Diaz.
Marvin Vettori says Israel Adesanya will be a step behind at UFC 263
