It’s been almost 18 months since the last time we saw ‘The Italian Dream’ in the octagon, with the middleweight division having moved on with not one, but two new champions in his absence.
Luckily, it shouldn’t be too long before we get to see Marvin Vettori back in action, with the popular Italian now teasing that he’s “almost there” regarding his comeback from injury.
Marvin Vettori teases incoming fight news after 18-month UFC hiatus
The UFC middleweight division has seen two champions come and go in The Italian Dream’s absence, with a host of top contenders now finding themselves above #7 ranked Marvin Vettori in the title picture.
But 18 months after his last UFC bout and seven months after being forced out of his comeback fight with a ‘freak injury’, Vettori is finally now teasing some incoming fight news.
“Almost there,” he wrote on X earlier today, before stating that his return fight could come as soon as “February or March [2025], I’m ready to fight.”
Arguably the most likely candidate to welcome Vettori back to the octagon is 24-6 grappler Brendan ‘All In’ Allen; the pair were originally scheduled to fight in April 2024 before Vettori was forced out with a “Freak injury.”
The pair were then seen brawling at a PFL event; with The Italian Dream claiming that he ‘clipped’ Allen several times before the cameras began rolling.
“February we got business to handle Marvin Vettori,” Allen wrote on social media in October.
“So it’s very clear I specifically asked for you, if the fight doesn’t happen its bc of you. February 22 or 15 if 22 isnt in USA. I will be there yet again, will you?”
The UFC Fight Night card on February 22, 2025, is set for the Las Vegas Apex whilst the following week’s Fight Night card will be held in Seattle, Washington – neither main event has been announced.
“I’m definitely good with fighting you,” wrote the Italian in response, before noting “Let’s see about timing.”
Vettori has remained coy regarding exactly what that ‘freak injury’ was that forced him out of the April 2024 fight with Allen, although he was seething when news first hit the airwaves.
“I got hurt, it was kind of a freak accident, and I can’t go into a fight hurt. Trust me, I’m the first one that wanted this fight – I wanted to put my hands on this guy… You know at the same time s*** happens and we got to roll with it, nothing we can do but focus on recovering.
“I’m fed up with all your b******, you sit down in front of a computer and become Hulk, but when you see me, you’re like a quiet little girl all smiles and trying to be nice…You funny-looking thing man, look like you came out of a Griffin episode.”
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After losing his UFC middleweight title fight in 2021, Marvin Vettori went 2-2 in the UFC with impressive decision wins over Paulo Costa and Roman Dolidze, but also dropping decisions to Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier.
Allen’s win streak came to an end in September when he dropped a unanimous decision with Nassourdine Imavov – ‘All In’ is currently the #9 ranked middleweight contender.
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