Marvin Vettori opened up about his defeat to Roman Dolidze on Saturday night in a brief Instagram story post.
Italian star Vettori was outpointed in his octagon comeback after two years out against Georgian Dolidze in the main event of UFC Vegas 104 at the Apex. The two middleweight contenders had fought almost two years to the day before in London, with Vettori getting the win on that occasion.
However, the Italian’s ring rust was visible from before even the first bell as Vettori suffered a wardrobe malfunction when he realized he had never put on his cup. And that lack of activity continued to show throughout the five round contest.
- Who is Dana White? All you need to know about the CEO and President of the UFC
Marvin Vettori speaks out for the first time since UFC Vegas 104 defeat
Following his defeat, Marvin Vettori was quickly taken from the octagon while Roman Dolidze gave an impassioned post-fight speech. Within a short amount of time, however, the outspoken European had taken to Instagram stories where he showed off his cuts and opened up to fans.
Speaking to over half a million followers, Vettori said: “Yup, nothing too bad just some cuts and bruises. F— man, life sometimes shows you that you can put your heart out and everything you’ve got and you still fall short.
“That was a close fight, I almost had him in the third but I guess it wasn’t enough. Yeah man, I don’t even know what to say.
“Just thank you to [American Top Team] the best in the world, thank you Dan [Lambert], everybody and all the sparring partners who helped me out. I love you all, love you guys and thank you UFC. What the f— can I say, bro? I don’t know. That’s it.
Marvin Vettori and Roman Dolidze have fought eight rounds together
The fight itself was indeed a close one, although not if you listened to the judges’ scorecards. All three gave it 49-46 to Dolidze, which seems unfair given that Vettori was probably the one closest to landing a finish throughout the night.
Since their first meeting, the Georgian had been out three times including two wins and a loss to Nassourdne Imavov. Particularly in the very early and very late stages, Vettori truly looked like somebody who was missing that sort of activity as he struggled to find his rhythm.
By the end of the night, it was Dolidze who was able to manage the pressure and distance better, ultimately earning the victory. It is expected Vettori will now drop from the top ten while Dolidze will enter at perhaps his number eight spot.