Tag: Marvin Vettori

UFC on ESPN 46 breakdown: Jared Cannonier vs. Marvin Vettori should be ‘striking match that goes the distance’

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the UFC on ESPN 46 main event between Marvin Vettori and Jared Cannonier.

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for UFC on ESPN 46.

UFC on ESPN 46 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

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UFC on ESPN 46 features a key middleweight clash in the main event between former title challengers [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] and [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag].

Cannonier (16-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) and Vettori (19-5-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) both are coming off close decision wins in their most recent fights. Cannonier beat Sean Strickland by split decision last December, while Vettori got past Roman Dolidze by unanimous decision in March.

Who will come out on top and keep their momentum going Saturday night? Watch the video above for a breakdown and prediction on Cannonier vs. Vettori.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 46.

UFC on ESPN 46 video: Jared Cannonier, Marvin Vettori make weight for headliner

The UFC on ESPN 46 main event is official after middleweight weight contenders Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori made weight in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – The UFC on ESPN 46 main event is official after [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] and [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] made weight Friday morning.

Cannonier (16-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) and Vettori (19-5-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) hit the middleweight mark at the UFC Apex, with both men registering 185.5 pounds.

Watch the video above to see Cannonier and Vettori stepping on the scale to make weight for the UFC on ESPN 46 headliner.

UFC on ESPN 46 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex with a main card on ESPN and ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 46.

Marvin Vettori won’t fold to Jared Cannonier at UFC on ESPN 46: No one is ‘ever going to finish me’

Marvin Vettori is not intimidated by Jared Cannonier’s power and dares his UFC on ESPN 46 main event foe to go for the early knockout.

[autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] is not intimidated by Jared Cannonier’s power and dares his UFC on ESPN 46 main event foe to go for the early knockout.

Ahead of Saturday’s middleweight main event, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+ and ESPN2, Cannonier (16-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) has expressed his desire to become the first man to stop Vettori (19-6-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) in MMA competition.

Vettori has been beaten six times in his career, but has never been knocked out or submitted. He’s only been bested on points, but Cannonier made it clear that’s not the way he likes to win. He wants a violent ending, and for Vettori, that’s music to his ears.

“Sometimes I go back and watch my first few fights and it was all first-round finishes, because I was going in and just like, ‘I’m going to finish this fight,'” Vettori told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 46 media day. “I have that in me. If somebody brings it out – trust me, he ain’t going to survive. My will to just not let out there and not give up, it’s too strong. There’s no one that’s ever going to finish me. So, yes, let’s go Jared. Bring it out the first round.”

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Vettori said he has no hostility toward Cannonier heading into fight night, but admits it’s a matchup he wanted. The Italian has fought the majority of the upper echelon in his 185-pound division, and there are only a few fresh pairings for him at this point. Cannonier was one of them, so in his mind, it was the perfect booking.

“It was the one missing, basically, in the top five,” Vettori said. “I said I want to do it. And also it excites me because he’s a good fighter and he’s going to bring the best out of me, so that’s what I want. A good opportunity to just show how good I am.”

Vettori said he’s entering UFC on ESPN 46 in pursuit of “the best performance of my life.” If he can get the job done, he will be on the short list of people in the discussion for a title shot. He admits there’s probably not much he could do to skip the winner of July’s UFC 290 matchup between Robert Whittaker and Dricus Du Plessis in the queue, but he’s not stressing it and will let everything unfold as it should.

“It is what it is, to be honest,” Vettori said. “My whole focus is just to go out and put on a great performance and finish him in a spectacular fashion, put on a very dominant performance. After that, I think everything will fall into place. I think that fight (between Robert Whittaker and Dricus Du Plessis) is kind of like a title eliminator. … We’ll let that fight play out and then I’m next. I’m next.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 46.

UFC on ESPN 46 pre-event facts: Marvin Vettori, Jared Cannonier battle for same milestone

Marvin Vettori and Jared Cannonier not only battle for title position at UFC on ESPN 46, but their 10th win inside the octagon, too.

The UFC hosts an event in Las Vegas for the first time in June on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 46, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas with a main card that airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

A critical matchup in the middleweight division takes center in stage in the main event. Former title challengers [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] (19-6-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) and [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] (16-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) try to work their way to second opportunities for the belt while also battling for their respective 10th win inside the octagon.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 46.

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Marvin Vettori welcomes Khamzat Chimaev after UFC on ESPN 46: ‘If he wants it, I’m here’

Marvin Vettori was emphatic about his desire to fight Khamzat Chimaev after Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 46 main event.

[autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] is solely focused on Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 46 main event against Jared Cannonier, but [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] remains firmly on his radar.

Vettori (19-6-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) meets Cannonier (16-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) in a high-stakes middleweight clash at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, which airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2 an ESPN+. If he wins, Vettori will turn attention toward another title shot.

But with champion Israel Adesanya likely to face the winner of July’s UFC 290 matchup between Robert Whittaker and Dricus Du Plessis next, that could mean another fight for Vettori to secure his position.

If that turns out to be the case, Vettori said he would gladly welcome the highly touted Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) to the top tier of the 185-pound division.

“I always welcome him,” Vettori told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 46 media day “Everywhere. Yeah, sure. If he wants it, I’m here. I’ve never turned down any fight. I’ve never pulled out of any fight. So please, yeah, bring him too.”

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Chimaev hasn’t competed since September, when he defeated Kevin Holland with a quick submission in the co-main event of UFC 279. He’s said he’s ready, willing and waiting to get back in the octagon, but hasn’t been booked and may not fight again until UFC’s return to Abu Dhabi in October.

Chimaev was briefly linked to a matchup with former longtime welterweight champ Kamaru Usman next, but UFC president Dana White recently stated that bout will not be happening.

That leaves Chimaev without a clear opponent, and Vettori could be an appropriate fit if he wins this weekend.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 46.

Jared Cannonier wants to give Marvin Vettori first KO loss, ‘break that cherry’ at UFC on ESPN 46

Jared Cannonier aims to “incapacitate” Marvin Vettori for the first time in the UFC on ESPN 46 headliner.

[autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] has no beef with [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] going into Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 46 headliner. It’s all business heading into a key fight in the middleweight division.

Vettori (19-6-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) has a knack for agitating opponents before they step into the cage, but Cannonier (16-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) said there’s none of that going into the main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, which airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

The pair even had an interaction early in fight week, Cannonier revealed, and he said it was perfectly cordial.

“I don’t see him doing anything that I would deem – that would put him on the executioners block, if you will,” Cannonier told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 46 media day.

Cannonier, 39, might not enter the fight with additional layers of hatred toward his opponent, but he said the urge to deliver a devastating result inside the octagon is still very much there.

There’s some additional motivation to produce a highlight, too, as Vettori has never been stopped inside the distance. If Cannonier could be the first, he said it would show a lot about his place in the division.

“That’s my goal,” Cannonier said. “I don’t go into these fights wanting a decision or wanting to outpoint somebody, look good on the scorecard. I’m going in there to incapacitate my opponents. That’s it. … I just want a finish. That’s all I go for. Especially considering the fact he hasn’t been finished. I’d love to be the first guy to break that cherry.”

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Cannonier said he thinks a win would put him in proximity for another title shot after he fell short in his first bid at gold against Israel Adesanya at UFC 276 in July. Adesanya does not currently have an opponent locked in for his next planned defense at UFC 293 in September, and Cannonier wants to make himself a candidate.

Doing something spectacular on Saturday would do a lot for his case, and he doesn’t think Vettori will have any other options but to strike with him.

“If he does try to grappling, it’ll be to his detriment,” Cannonier said. “Anybody who has tried to grappling me, if he’s watched my fights, it has to been to their detriment. It hasn’t been easy to holy me down, and it’s going to be damn near impossible to get me down now. I feel I’ve grown a lot in that area and you may even see me take him down to be honest.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 46.

UFC veterans in MMA and boxing action June 16-17

Check out which veterans of the UFC are in combat sports action across the globe this weekend.

This week, the UFC is back home in Las Vegas for UFC Fight Night 225.

The event at the UFC Apex features a middleweight main event between former title challengers [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] and [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag].

Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place that feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

This week, there are a total of 22 veterans of the global MMA leader competing in MMA this week from June 16-17.

Check out the names and details about their bouts below.

Upcoming event information from Tapology.

Jared Cannonier lauds Marvin Vettori’s resilience, knows ‘he’s hard to finish’

Jared Cannonier knows he’s in for a tough challenge against Marvin Vettori when they fight in June.

[autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] knows he’s in for a tough challenge against [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag].

Cannonier (16-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) meets fellow former middleweight title challenger Vettori in a UFC Fight Night headliner June 17 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Vettori (19-6-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) never has been finished in 26 professional fights, and Cannonier points to his durability as being one of his strongest assets.

“Well, Marvin is resilient,” Cannonier told The Schmo. “He’s always ever-present in the fight. He doesn’t take time off. He doesn’t get tired. So, on top of that, he’s hard to finish. Resilient, right? So, he has that perseverance in him, too. If he sees an opening, he’s definitely going to try to jump through it with both fist and feet and all that good stuff. But I’ve prepared to fight the best in the world, and I’m ready for whatever he’s going to bring.”

Winner of three of his past four, Cannonier is hoping to get another title shot with a win over Vettori. But with former champion Robert Whittaker booked against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 290 on July 8, Cannonier knows he’ll likely have to win one more before getting another crack at middleweight champ Israel Adesanya.

“It’s slim pickings here at the top,” Cannonier said. “So, if I don’t get the next title shot, if I have to fight somebody before I get the title shot, then it will probably have to be the loser of the title fight or that contenders match that’s happening in July.”

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (April 17-23)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from April 17-23.

Jared Cannonier vs. Marvin Vettori set to headline UFC Fight Night event on June 17

A big middleweight matchup is taking the marquee spot on June 17 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

A big UFC middleweight matchup is taking the marquee spot in Las Vegas on June 17.

UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] announced Thursday on Instagram Live that the UFC Fight Night event will now be headlined by [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] (16-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) vs. [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] (19-6-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC).

The clash of former middleweight title challengers currently holding top 5 spots in the latest USA TODAY SPORTS/MMA Junkie middleweight rankings takes place at the UFC Apex, with the main card airing live on ESPN and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET.

Cannonier, 39, will enter his third-straight main event on the heels of a split decision win over Sean Strickland. In the outing prior, Cannonier was defeated in a bid for the middleweight title by champ Israel Adesanya at UFC 276, stopping the momentum of back-to-back wins over Kelvin Gastelum and Derek Brunson.

Vettori, 29, has traded winning and losing decisions over his past few outings since getting a shot at the title. In his last appearance, he halted the momentum of rising contender Roman Dolidze. Prior to that, former champ Robert Whittaker beat Vettori on the scorecards. After coming up short in his shot for the title against Adesanya at UFC 263, Vettori rebounded with a win over Paulo Costa four months later.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night event on June 17 includes:

  • Jared Cannonier vs. Marvin Vettori
  • Alessandro Costa vs. Jimmy Flick
  • Tereza Bleda vs. Gabriella Fernandes
  • Kleydson Rodrigues vs. Tatsuro Taira
  • Modestas Bukauskas vs. Zac Pauga
  • Nicolas Dalby vs. Muslim Salikhov