Marvin Vettori has vowed to return stronger after his loss to Robert Whittaker at UFC Paris this past Saturday.
Vettori was soundly defeated by Whittaker, the former UFC middleweight champion who continues to stave off challenges from the rest of the division. Though the ‘Italian Dream’ fell short against the ‘Reaper,’ he has promised to go forward and pursue his dream of becoming a UFC champion.
“Starting from Mezzocorona and getting to the top of the MMA world didn’t happen overnight,” wrote Vettori in Italian on Instagram. “Against all odds and working steadily over the years, many have been passionate about and inspired by my career, where my determination has always prevailed. For this, I thank you from first to last. What you’ve seen so far is not the top of the mountain. We will climb back to conquer higher peaks. It’s a promise.
“This game ain’t for the faint of heart,” continued Vettori. “We got big shoulders, and we don’t quit. There is just one way and that is forward. I promise everyone I’ll be back better than ever. Hat off to Whittaker, good execution and good adjustments. Nothing changes, we are gonna be champion one day. I promise you that.”
Vettori earned a championship opportunity after five consecutive wins, which included decisions against fellow contenders in Jack Hermansson and Kevin Holland at UFC Vegas 16 and UFC Vegas 23, respectively. He shared the Octagon with Israel Adesanya, the man he previously lost to by split decision at UFC on FOX 29 over four years ago. Fast forward to UFC 263, and the ‘Last Stylebender’ emerged victorious once again, this time by unanimous decision for his third successful defense.
The Kings MMA product then moved from middleweight to light heavyweight for a fight with Paulo Costa, who he defeated by unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 41 this past October.
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