Marvin Vettori Believes He’s a Tough Matchup for Middleweight Champ Alex Pereira

Marvin Vettori returned to the win column at UFC 286, relying on his kickboxing to capture a unanimous decision triumph over Roman Dolidze in a featured middleweight bout at the O2 Arena in London this past Saturday.

While Dolidze spent the majority of the bout headhunting, “The Italian Dream” was more well-rounded, and he racked up points behind low kicks and punching combinations to the head. Vettori knew Dolidze, who had finished his last three opponents, was a dangerous adversary, but he was also confident that he was superior in all aspects.

“I feel like I picked him apart with low kicks and the hands. From the corner they told me don’t go toward the big overhand because that was his biggest weapon,” Vettori said during a media scrum after the bout. “He kind of got me a little bit in the first round, but you know I ain’t gonna go anywhere. You’re not gonna get me out of there. By now, people probably know that.

“I knew I was the better fighter, so I had to make some very big mistakes to lose the fight. At the same time, he was a worthy opponent and he was very motivated. Even though I kept telling myself don’t think because you’re the better fighter to expect an easy fight. I knew that wasn’t going to be the case.”

With seven wins in his last nine UFC appearances, Vettori is an established commodity in the middleweight division. However, recent losses to Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya make his path to the top of the division more complicated.

“I believe I still need a few more fights [for a title shot], but I don’t mind that,” Vettori said. “Of course, the way I am I want to rush to the title. For sure, [Alex] Pereira would be a great fight for me. I’m right there. We’ll see how this fight between Pereira and Adesanya will play out. Obviously Whittaker is there. But I’m there. The moment you send me that contract and I sign it, you can count on me showing up.”

Pereira and Adesanya will square off in a middleweight title rematch at UFC 287 next month. Pereira bested Adesanya in their first meeting to capture the 185-pound belt, but Vettori believes he has some skills that could give “Poatan” trouble if they cross paths.

“In terms of skill set, they’re pretty similar, they’re both strikers,” Vettori said. “Of course, Pereira is different in the way that he fights, he’s more of a boxer, he’s more of a power puncher. He’s even taller, he’s a bit bigger. He’s less acclimated to MMA still, but he’s getting there. I think with more time he’s getting there. With that being said, I believe I’m a very good matchup because I could definitely mix it up with wrestling and he would struggle with that.”

The way things currently stand, Vettori sees a showdown with fellow former title challenger Jared Cannonier as a viable next option. He’s also willing to be on call if something happens to the originally scheduled UFC 287 main event.

“We’ll see. Line them up,” Vettori said. “The only guy who I didn’t fight yet in the Top 5 is probably Cannonier. Maybe that’s what’s next. If somebody gets injured, I’m right there. I want to stay active. If I have the chance to fight Pereira, you can count on me for sure.”