As he developed his skills over the years, Vettori has become a complete mixed martial artist, one with suffocating grappling, slick boxing and defensive movement, as well as an intensity few in the promotion can match. It’s that all-around ability in which Vettori takes pride, and it’s also what he feels befuddles his foes, preventing them from getting into their usual flow against him.
“I’m just too well-rounded,” he said. “They don’t feel like they have the opportunity. They get shut off. The intensity, the energy – most of the time, the fighters are thinking about defending what I bring than actually doing things to me. That’s actually the case. They’re not really thinking that much offensively many times when they fight me. They’re thinking defensively, so that’s why.”
It’s that mentality and ability that put Vettori on a five-fight winning streak and back into the Octagon with middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in June. Three years after his split decision loss to the now-champion, Vettori stepped into the Octagon with all the belief in the world that his destiny was to avenge his loss to Adesanya and become the first Italian-born UFC champion.
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It didn’t happen, though, despite Vettori’s efforts. For five rounds, Vettori tried to get the fight into his world, to walk Adesanya down, to take the fight to the mat. He got close, taking the champion’s back and nearly sinking in a choke, but the position was reversed, and the judges each gave all five rounds to Adesanya.
And so, the journey back to the title begins anew. Vettori believes he’s ready to show “another version” of himself against Costa, who is also coming off a failed title shot against Adesanya.
