Marvin Vettori is here to stay.
The No. 4-ranked middleweight contender kept himself in the title conversation by turning away top prospect Roman Dolidze on the UFC 286 pay-per-view (PPV) main card last weekend in London, England. The victory helped Vettori rebound from a recent loss to former champion Robert Whittaker and now “The Italian Dream” is setting his sights on the UFC 287 headliner next month in Miami.
Where longtime rival Israel Adesanya looks to regain his 185-pound title against Alex Pereira.
“I like [Pereira] as a champion, way more than Adesanya,” Vettori said at the UFC 286 post-fight press conference (watch it here). “I like the Adesnaya fight, too. We’ll see, line them up. The only guy I didn’t fight in the top 10 is (Jared) Cannonier. Maybe that’s what’s next. But listen, if someone gets injured, I’ll be right there. I want to be active, and I’m going to stay ready. And if I have the chance to fight Pereira, you can count on me for sure.”
Vettori (19-6-1) has two decision losses to Adesanya but could present an interesting matchup for Pereira, stylistically speaking. No word yet on whether or not the promotion plans on having a backup fighter for the UFC 287 main event, but it appears to be all the rage these days.
“I believe I still need a few more fights (for a title shot), and I don’t mind that,” Vettori said. “Of course, the way I am, I want to rush to the title, and for sure Pereira would be a great fight for me. And listen, I’m right there. When you’re in the top five, it doesn’t matter if you’re No. 1, 2, or 3. You’re in the top five. The moment you send me a contract, you can count on me showing up. You can count on me 100 percent.”
For more news and fallout from UFC 286 click here.