"Same punch-kick technique that Leon knocked Usman out with, but Marvin kept standing... insane" - Fans in awe of Marvin Vettori's granite chin after UFC releases fight against Paulo Costa 

Ahead of Marvin Vettori's bout at UFC Paris against Robert Whittaker, the UFC released footage of Marvin Vettori in his most recent outing against Paulo Costa. 'The Italian Dream' earned a hard-fought unanimous decision victory, during which he had to absorb a lot of powerful shots from heavy-hitter Costa.

A jab high-kick combo that Vettori ate from Costa had fans in awe, with some suggesting that it was reminiscent of Leon Edwards' recent shot that knocked Kamaru Usman out at UFC 278.

One fan wrote:

"That was the same punch-kick technique that Leon knocked Usman out with, but Marvin kept standing... insane"

Another fan attributed Vettori's success in this regard to his "iron-chin." The individual suggested that it was the Italian's chin, combined with his conditioning, pressure, and southpaw stance, that made the difference:

"What a great fight. The amount of pressure that Vettori puts on his opponent is insane. He is conditioned and has an iron chin. He took some blows from Costa. Couldn't have asked for a better fight. The fact that Vettori is a south paw may have been the advantage he needed to survive Costa's heavy leg kicks.

"A predominantly right hand fighter may not have been so lucky and may have needed a new liver. Costa is huge and although he is well conditioned, carries much more of a load on his body so if you can survive those brutal kicks and right hand for more than 2 rounds, the fight can turn into a whole different situation."

One fan remarked that Vettori withstood kicks that could have killed the "average" person:

"The kicks from Costa that Marvin ate this fight could literally kill the average person."

Check out the fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

Vettori's victory over Costa was a statement win. He had his hand raised despite the Brazilian being severely over the weight limit for the bout, which forced it to be made into a light heavyweight contest.

With that in mind, Vettori carries that momentum into Saturday's contest, when he'll face former champion Robert Whittaker.

Watch the full fight between Vettori and Costa below:

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Marvin Vettori arrives in Paris for first-ever UFC event in France

Marvin Vettori has arrived in Paris as the UFC heads to France for the first time ever. Vettori, of course, had to take the obligatory picture with the Eiffel Tower ahead of his co-main event bout with Robert Whittaker.

'The Italian Dream' took to Instagram to share it with the world, captioning it 'the world is yours' in French.

Marvin Vettori, who hails from Trento, Italy, could conceivably drive to Paris, France from his hometown. When Vettori got started in MMA, it was still a growing sport in his country, so he had to travel to six different gyms to be able to train all the skills necessary.

Now, he is helping pioneer the UFC's European presence. He hopes to eventually bring the octagon to his home country, which looks like a significant possibility given the UFC's visit to France.