Vettori: Izzy-Strickland Rematch ‘Won’t Sell’

Bitter Marvin Vettori does not like Israel Adesanya.

“The Italian Dream” came up short against “The Last Stylebender” in two separate fights, first at UFC on FOX 29 (split decision) and then again at UFC 263 (unanimous decision). Along the way, there was the usual back-and-forth trash talk from both sides.

Maybe those pink panties are cutting off the blood flow to his brain.

Not surprisingly, Vettori was ready to shovel dirt on Adesanya’s championship grave after “The Last Stylebender” fell to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 earlier this month in Sydney. In addition, “The Italian Dream” has no desire to see an immediate rematch.

To be fair, he’s not the only one.

“I just don’t like this guy. Can I not like this guy? I don’t f*cking like this guy, so I personally think that he doesn’t deserve a f*cking rematch,” Vettori said on the Dream Rare Podcast (transcribed by Farah Hannoun). “Why? I don’t even think he wants a rematch. He felt like — he’s going to lose again, so I don’t even think like he wants the rematch right now. I mean like let’s see what Sean will do as the champ. He shook up the division and I think (Dricus) Du Plessis is on the line. He beat up (Robert) Whittaker the way he did, you cannot deny him a f*cking title shot man, way more than Adesanya. I think that’s also a very good fight for Strickland.”

Strickland has a couple of available contenders in line for his first 185-pound title defense, including No. 2-ranked Dricus Du Plessis. In addition, No. 4-ranked Jared Cannonier — fresh off his drubbing of Vettori — already holds a win over “Tarzan” from late 2022.

“Oh! f*cking Jared — Jared too,” Vettori continued. “They will come at me for sure: ‘You’re salty,’ this and that. I think Adesanya’s time is over. It’s passed, so we’ll see. But I don’t think that rematch would even sell. I don’t know. Definitely, I would be way more excited to see Strickland and Du Plessis or even a rematch with Cannonier, and down the road who f*cking knows.”

UFC is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks.