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Three weeks from now, Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori will lock horns inside the octagon in the headliner of UFC 263 with the middleweight title on the line. It's a rematch that's been three years in the making. In his second octagon outing, Israel Adesanya picked up a split-decision victory against Vettori.
While Israel Adesanya won the fight, it was anything but a cakewalk for the Nigerian-Kiwi fighter. In fact, it was the closest Adesanya got to losing a fight in his entire career as a middleweight. Since that fight, Adesanya has torn through the entire middleweight division, captured the title, and successfully defended it on two occasions.
Marvin Vettori hasn't lost a single fight inside the octagon since the defeat to Adesanya. On the back of a five-fight win streak, Vettori has more than earned himself a title shot at UFC 263.
This article will discuss three reasons why Israel Adesanya will retain his title at UFC 263 and two reasons why Vettori may become the new champ.
3 reasons why Israel Adesanya will defeat Marvin Vettori again
#1 Improved takedown defense
Israel Adesanya isn't the same fighter who Marvin Vettori fought back in 2018. Adesanya is more than adept at stopping takedown attempts now. Adesanya currently has one of the best takedown defense rates in the promotion at 82%.
While Israel Adesanya is known for his striking skills, his defensive techniques are underrated. Adesanya proved that it isn't easy to take him down in the fights against Derek Brunson and Yoel Romero. If Vettori fails to land a takedown on Adesanya and the fight stays on the feet, 'The Last Stylebender' will likely outstrike his opponent throughout the fight.
#2 Adesanya's overall striking game is much better rounded than Vettori's
Israel Adesanya is a very effective striker, and there are very few fighters in the UFC who are better than Adesanya when it comes to striking. Thanks to his kickboxing background, Israel Adesanya has a versatile striking arsenal. 'The Last Stylebender' can pull the occasional rabbit out of the hat at any point in time in a fight.
Israel Adesanya also uses a wide array of kicks to keep his opponents at bay. 'The Last Stylebender' restricts his foe's movement to set up a potential knockout opportunity later on in the fight, as was seen in his clash against Paulo Costa.
Israel Adesanya is also a very effective counter-puncher. He lures opponents into his striking range before pulling back to parry the punch and hit back with nasty straight right-hand shots of his own. Adesanya can find his opponent's chin from various angles at any time in the fight, which makes him a constant threat for Vettori on the feet.
#3 Experience of competing in championship fights gives Adesanya the edge
Israel Adesanya has the edge over Vettori when it comes to having the experience of performing under pressure. Adesanya has fought some of the greatest middleweights in the UFC in high-pressure pay-per-view headlining clashes. Adesanya has headlined a total of six UFC pay-per-views and knows what it's like to bring his A-game under bright lights.
Adesanya is no stranger to big moments inside the octagon, having beaten Anderson Silva, Robert Whittaker, Kelvin Gastelum, Yoel Romero, and Paulo Costa. Vettori is on an impressive run of wins, but he has yet to face opponents the caliber of which Adesanya has already dispatched with ease.
2 reasons why Israel Adesanya may lose at UFC 263
#1 Vettori's persistent grappling
Marvin Vettori will draw heart from the fact that he was able to keep Adesanya quiet for most of the fight when they collided for the first time. How did he manage to do so? By taking 'The Last Stylebender' down and dominating him on the ground.
Adesanya spent almost the entire third round on his back, trying to avoid taking any significant damage.
Even in Adesanya's recent fight against Jan Blachowicz, it was evident that the former was uncomfortable on the ground. Adesanya was almost manhandled once the fight went to the ground.
Marvin Vettori's performance against Kevin Holland showed that the Italian's grappling is pretty sharp. If 'The Italian Dream' manages to take Adesanya down early, it could be a rough night for the champ.
#2 Vettori's durability and ability to absorb strikes
Marvin Vettori has a strong chin and doesn't seem to wilt even when fights go into deep waters. Vettori's resilience is second to none in the UFC, and he is determined to become champion. Moreover, 'The Italian Dream' has also never been knocked out in his entire professional career.
Vettori is taking the fight against Adesanya personally because the latter once said they'd never meet again. He will undoubtedly leave everything inside the octagon to try and beat Adesanya at UFC 263.
