Following the UFC’s announcement of Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori 2, the champion and his trainer had some things to say. Israel, for one, is inspired by his fellow Nigerian, Kamaru Usman.
Previously, welterweight champion Kamaru Usman beat Masvidal via U-Dec at UFC 251. Naturally, Masvidal and a lot of fans were not happy with the result. Hence, Usman called a rematch and knocked out Masvidal at UFC 261.
“After seeing Kamaru do that to Jorge, I’m inspired to do that to this guy as well”. Adesanya hints that he wishes to replicate his fellow Nigerian, Kamaru Usman. He wishes to rectify and make it clear that he is better than Vettori.
“He holds on to the loss to me, better than his biggest win”. Adesanya explains that Vettori has been “salty” since losing to him. “I kinda wanna put that final nail in the coffin and just shut him up.”
Previously, Israel won against Vettori by a controversial split decision. At UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Gaethje, Vettori felt that he did more than enough to claim victory over ‘Stylebender’. Subsequently, he has been very vocal about a rematch ever since.
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Can Israel Adesanya Beat Marvin Vettori Again?
Previously, Adesanya and Vettori had an intense match-up. At the time, Israel was an up-and-coming prospect and Vettori was the underdog. Whilst the bout was interesting to watch, it was the first time that Israel was pushed out of his comfort zone. Above all, it highlighted the Nigerian’s weakness in the ground game.
Israel Adesanya of Nigeria punches Jan Blachowicz of Poland in their UFC light heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 259 event at UFC APEX on March 06, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Credits: Getty Images)
‘Stylebender’ thrives off of countering his opponents. His quality striking and feints allow him to outmaneuver his opponents and deliver deadly blows. However, he struggles with wrestlers like Vettori. Accordingly, he and his trainer have been working on improving the champ’s grappling and groundwork.
Even though he is returning from a loss to Jan Blachowicz, Israel seems confident that he can dispatch Marvin once again. In addition to his traditional fighting skill, Adesanya will now have the added advantage of wrestling expertise. Hence, fans of ‘Stylebender’ will be looking forward to another display of Israel’s arsenal.
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