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Italy's Marvin Vettori was recently unsuccessful in his first bid for UFC gold. 'The Italian Dream' came up short against Israel Adesanya for the second time in his pro career.
Vettori was competitive throughout the fight. But Adesanya was constantly one step ahead of the Italian, and Vettori's lack of versatility really began to become evident as the fight progressed into the later rounds.
If Marvin Vettori has serious aspirations of one day being crowned champion, he must up his game considerably. In the following list we will go over three areas in which Vettori must improve should he hope to one day hold the belt.
#3 Mentality
There is a lot to be said for the importance of a competitive mentality for athletes, especially in the sport of MMA. Every fighter at the top of each division has to be always willing to test themselves against ever-changing opposition to prove they deserve their standing.
But Marvin Vettori's mentality comes across as almost delusional at times. He appears constantly angry and is unwilling to accept when he has been outclassed. This was the case even after being defeated a second time by Adesanya.
Showing class and respect in defeat will only adhere you to fans more, and accepting his loss will allow Marvin Vettori to analyze what mistakes were made and figure out how to fix them. It appears that he's already taking steps in this direction, as he did make a post on Instagram stating that there are mistakes to be addressed.
#2 Stop head hunting
Against Adesanya, Marvin Vettori fell into the classic heavy hitters pitfall of repeatedly looking for the big knockout. the champ would repeatedly avoid and counter with ease. Vettori never changed up his tactics, appearing to almost stubbornly refuse to land body shots or leg kicks.
Marvin Vettori is a competent striker. However, in the middleweight division there are several truly elite strikers, Adesanya and Whittaker especially. If Vettori attempts to fight these men with the sole intention of taking their head off, he will be constantly punished.
#1 Stop relying on natural durability
This will likely be the hardest change for Marvin Vettori to implement. He is one of the most naturally durable fighters in the whole UFC and his fighting style often reflects that.
He is able to wade into exchanges without the fear of a counter strike will knocking him out. However, this does not mean he isn't getting hit. Using Adesanya as an example once again, the 185-pound champ is proven to have a great chin himself, and yet he works his upmost to avoid being hit. This meant that when he fought Vettori, he completely outstruck the Italian, who was looking to simply go strike for strike.
Adesanya did acknowledge that Marvin Vettori's headmovement had improved since they first fought. However, he must continue to improve defensively. If he does not, there will come a day when his chin loses its durability as a result of continued sustained damage.
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