Tag: Marvin Vettori

UFC Fight Night 209 results: Robert Whittaker picks apart Marvin Vettori, declares himself ‘most dangerous’ in division

At UFC Fight Night 209, Robert Whittaker picked apart Marvin Vettori en route to a unanimous decision and a bold post-fight statement.

PARIS – Outside of champion Israel Adesanya, no one at middleweight has been able to beat [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] – a fact that still remains true Saturday at UFC Fight Night 209.

In the co-main event of the promotion’s debut card in France, Whittaker (24-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) defeated [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] (18-5-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28). He then declared himself to best middleweight in the world – title or no title.

The margin of success in the fight started off razor thin, but widened as the bout progressed. The first round saw both men calmly feel one another out at distance. They each had flurries of success, but no one really had the defining moment that stole the round.

In Round 2, momentum titled toward Whittaker, who utilized his striking to pick apart the slower power-puncher Vettori. With no wasted movement, Whittaker was very conservative with his strikes but successful when they were thrown.

The biggest moment of the fight came in Round 3. As Vettori slowed, a head kick from Whittaker visibly hurt. Vettori was slightly wobbly and Whittaker followed up with a pair of leaping right hands and a knee. Vettori maintained his composure and eventually shot for a takedown. He wasn’t successful, but Whittaker briefly scored one of his own.

In the final seconds, a hard combination staggered a bloodied Vettori once again. The bell rang and moments later Whittaker was named the victor.

“Mate, including the champion I’m the most dangerous man in the division,” Whittaker told interview Michael Bisping in the cage after the decision. “I make people hate fighting. I take the love out of it for them. As for who’s next, I’m always gunning for that top spot. I’m just going to be lurking here waiting.”

Whittaker, 31, remains atop the list of UFC middleweight contenders as he moves to 13-0 since 2014 against fighters not named Adesanya. Whittaker’s only two career losses at middleweight were in October 2019 and February 2022 to the current titleholder.

Prior to Saturday’s result, Vettori had a similar claim with his only two losses since 2018 both coming against Adesanya. He moves to 1-2 in his most recent three outings. Vettori is a one-time UFC challenger, who lost a unanimous decision to Adesanya at UFC 263.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 209 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.

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Twitter reacts to Robert Whittaker’s win over bloodied Marvin Vettori at UFC Fight Night 209

See the top Twitter reactions to Robert Whittaker’s win over Marvin Vettori at UFC Fight Night 209.

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] once again showed where he stands among the middleweight elite Saturday when he beat [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] in the UFC Fight Night 209 co-main event.

Whittaker (24-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC), a former UFC champion, earned a unanimous decision victory over fellow contender Vettori (18-6-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) in the 185-pound matchup, which took place at Accor Arena in Paris.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Whittaker’s victory over Vettori at UFC Fight Night 209.

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UFC Fight Night 209: Best photos from Paris

Check out these photos from the fights at UFC Fight Night 209 in Paris, featuring Gane vs. Tuivasa, Whittaker vs. Vettori, and more.

Check out these photos from the fights at UFC Fight Night 209 at Accor Arena in Paris. (Photos by Per Haljestam, USA TODAY Sports)

(Gallery updated throughout the event.)

 

UFC Fight Night 209: Robert Whittaker vs. Marvin Vettori odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 209 odds and lines between Robert Whittaker vs. Marvin Vettori, with MMA picks, tips and predictions.

In a middleweight bout on the main card, Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori meet Saturday at UFC Fight Night 209 at Accor Arena in Paris, France. Below, we analyze the UFC Fight Night 209 Whittaker vs. Vettori odds and lines, with picks and predictions.

The fight can be viewed on ESPN+ with the prelims beginning at noon ET and the main card at 3 p.m. ET.

Whittaker suffered a unanimous-decision (UD) loss to Israel Adesanya last time out in a title fight at UFC 271 in February. It was his 4th consecutive fight to be decided by the judges, and he has just 1 finish across his last 7 outings dating back to his title win at UFC 213.

Vettori bounced back from a UD championship bout loss to Adesanya at UFC 263 in June 2021 with a UD win over Paulo Costa last time out in the main event in late October.

Vettori, the southpaw, has a half-inch read advantage, while Whittaker has a slight 4.45-to-4.35 lead in the significant strikes per minute category. The Italian is a little more accurate with a 53.38% significant strike accuracy percentage, and he is a better fighter on the ground.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC Fight Night 209 Whittaker vs. Vettori odds and lines

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; accessΒ USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:21 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Whittaker -210 (bet $210 to win $100) | Vettori +160 (bet $100 to win $160)
  • Over/Under: 2.5 rounds (Over -340 | Under +220)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -290 | No +200)

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UFC 209 Whittaker vs. Vettori picks and predictions

Records: Whittaker (24-6-0) | Vettori (18-5-1)

Fight result (2-way line or money line)

Whittaker (-210) has been very deliberate, going the distance in each of his previous 4 fights. He should be able to get the victory, bouncing back after a loss to The Last Stylebender. The odds are just a little steeper than my personal money line limit.

WHITTAKER BY POINTS (-116) is a tremendous value, and it is a good play as long as he can keep the fight upright and avoid Vettori and his wrestling skills.

Over/Under (O/U)

Yes (-290): Fight to go the distance is not a recommended play, as it will cost you nearly 3 times your potential return. Over 2.5 Rounds (-340) is an even worse play.

Just stick with Whittaker on the 3-way line as the best play.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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Marvin Vettori: Robert Whittaker can’t grapple with me, but I’ll welcome it if he tries

Marvin Vettori doesn’t see grappling as a successful route for Robert Whittaker at UFC Fight Night 209.

PARIS – [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] doesn’t see grappling as a successful route for [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 209.

Vettori (18-5-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC)Β faces former champion Whittaker (23-6 MMA, 14-4 UFC)Β in Saturday’s co-main event at Accor Arena inΒ Paris. The card streams on ESPN+.

Whittaker found success using his wrestling against middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in their title-fight rematch at UFC 271, but if he tries to against Vettori, the Italian fighter says it won’t work.

“He can’t grapple with me,” Vettori told reporters at Thursday’s UFC Fight Night 209 media day. “He can’t grapple and be successful with me. He just can’t. So he’ll try, and I’ll welcome it if he does, but he really can’t. I can, and I can do anything in that fight, and I will because it’s MMA at the end of the day. But like I said, I think I match up very bad for him. My skills match up very well for myself against him. The way that I fight will drain him, will make him do mistakes, and I’ll capitalize on those.”

Both Vettori and Whittaker recently fell short to Adesanya for the middleweight title, but Vettori doesn’t think “The Reaper” has evolved much in his past couple of fights.

“He’s definitely very good. But with that being said, he’s the same fighter that he was a year ago,” Vettori said. “He’s the same fighter that he was in his last fight. I’m not. I keep improving. I’m more hungry, and I’m on my way up. I don’t believe he is. So that’s the biggest difference there.

“I’m going to try and really finish him, either submission or striking or knockout. If not, it’ll be dominant. It’ll be very dominant.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.

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UFC Fight Night 209 predictions: Gane or Tuivasa, Whittaker or Vettori at historic Paris event?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC Fight Night 209 main card in Paris at the UFC’s debut in France.

Gane
vs.
Tuivasa		 Vettori
vs.
Whittaker		 Di Chirico
vs.
Kopylov		 Haqparast
vs.
Makdessi		 Errens
vs.
Gomis		 Jourdain
vs.
Wood
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
140-89		 gane2022
Gane
(52%)		 whittaker2022
Whittaker
(82%)		 kopylov2022
Kopylov
(58%)		 haqparast2022
Haqparast
(70%)		 gomis2022
Gomis
(79%)		 jourdain2022
Jourdain
(58%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
156-78
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 gane2022
Gane		 whittaker2022
Whittaker		 dichirico2022
Di Chirico		 haqparast2022
Haqparast		 errens2022
Errens		 jourdain2022
Jourdain
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
150-84		 gane2022
Gane		 whittaker2022
Whittaker		 dichirico2022
Di Chirico		 haqparast2022
Haqparast		 errens2022
Errens		 wood2022
Wood
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
148-86
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 gane2022
Gane		 whittaker2022
Whittaker		 dichirico2022
Di Chirico		 haqparast2022
Haqparast		 gomis2022
Gomis		 jourdain2022
Jourdain
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
145-89		 gane2022
Gane		 whittaker2022
Whittaker		 dichirico2022
Di Chirico		 haqparast2022
Haqparast		 gomis2022
Gomis		 jourdain2022
Jourdain
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
143-91		 gane2022
Gane		 whittaker2022
Whittaker		 dichirico2022
Di Chirico		 haqparast2022
Haqparast		 errens2022
Errens		 wood2022
Wood
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
141-93		 gane2022
Gane		 whittaker2022
Whittaker		 kopylov2022
Kopylov		 haqparast2022
Haqparast		 gomis2022
Gomis		 wood2022
Wood
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
141-93		 gane2022
Gane		 whittaker2022
Whittaker		 kopylov2022
Kopylov		 haqparast2022
Haqparast		 gomis2022
Gomis		 wood2022
Wood
Nolan King
@mma_kings
138-96		 gane2022
Gane		 whittaker2022
Whittaker		 dichirico2022
Di Chirico		 haqparast2022
Haqparast		 gomis2022
Gomis		 jourdain2022
Jourdain
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
137-97
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 gane2022
Gane		 vettori2022
Vettori		 dichirico2022
Di Chirico		 makdessi2022
Makdessi		 gomis2022
Gomis		 wood2022
Wood
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
127-107		 tuivasa2022
Tuivasa		 vettori2022
Vettori		 dichirico2022
Di Chirico		 makdessi2022
Makdessi		 gomis2022
Gomis		 wood2022
Wood
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
113-121		 gane2022
Gane		 whittaker2022
Whittaker		 dichirico2022
Di Chirico		 makdessi2022
Makdessi		 errens2022
Errens		 wood2022
Wood

The UFC has touched down in France this week for the first time, and heavyweight and middleweight title contenders are atop the card.

UFC Fight Night 209 takes place Saturday at Accor Arena inΒ Paris. The card streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the heavyweight main event, Paris’ own [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC), a former interim champion, takes on the streaking [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC), who has won five straight by knockout. Despite Tuivasa’s great run of late, Gane is a huge -650 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Tuivasa is +420. All but one of our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking Gane to get back on track after his loss to champ Francis Ngannou in January. (Despite that, our readers’ picks have the fight as the most contentious.)

The co-main event features the return of former middleweight champ [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (23-6 MMA, 14-4 UFC) after a loss to champ Israel Adesanya. He’ll take on recent title challenger [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] (18-4-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC). Whittaker is a -230 favorite at the betting window and has a big 9-2 picks lead.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Alessio Di Chirico[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 4-6 UFC) meets [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) in a middleweight bout. The fight nearly is a pick’em at Tipico, but our staff members have Di Chirico with a hefty 9-2 lead in the picks.

[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC) takes on [autotag]John Makdessi[/autotag] (18-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) in a lightweight bout that is one of those pre-ordained Fight of the Night-type matchups. Haqparast is a -240 favorite and has a big 8-3 edge from our pickers.

UFC newcomers [autotag]Jarno Errens[/autotag] (13-3-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and [autotag]William Gomis[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) meet in a featherweight bout that has Gomis as a -230 favorite. He doesn’t have a blowout in the picks, but still has a 7-4 nod from our staff members.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag] (13-5-1 MMA, 4-4-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Nathaniel Wood[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at featherweight in Wood’s second fight in the weight class. Jourdain is a -155 favorite, but our staff pickers have Wood bucking the odds with a 7-4 lead.

InΒ the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Gane (52 percent), Whittaker (82 percent), Kopylov (58 percent), Haqparast (70 percent), Gomis (79 percent)Β andΒ Jourdain (58 percent)Β are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.

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UFC Fight Night 209 faceoff video: Marvin Vettori rejects Robert Whittaker’s handshake attempt

Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori got face-to-face for the first – and last – time at UFC Fight Night 209 ceremonial weigh-ins.

PARIS – Ahead of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 209 co-main event, [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] and [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] got face-to-face for the first – and last – time at ceremonial weigh-ins.

After making weight without issue on Friday morning, former UFC champ Whittaker (23-6, 14-4 UFC) and former title challenger Vettori (18-5-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) engaged in a staredown to set the stage for their anticipated middleweight contender showdown.

UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard regulated the moment, where Vettori denied Whittaker’s attempt to shake hands and gave him a finger wag.

Check out the video above to see the Whittaker vs. Vettori faceoff.

UFC Fight Night 209 takes place Saturday at Accor Arena. The entire event streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.

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Video: Who has the best path to a title shot with a UFC Paris win?

Three of the four fighters atop UFC Fight Night 209 in Paris are former champs or have had title shots. Who has the best path back to gold?

The UFC sets up shop in France for the first time Saturday, and plenty of eyeballs will be on UFC Fight Night 209.

Those eyeballs won’t be just because it’s the UFC’s first trip to Paris, one of the most famous cities in the world.

At the top of the card, former interim heavyweight champion [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC), who trains in Paris, will try to wow his home fans against [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC). And in the co-main event, former middleweight title challenger [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] (18-4-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) meets ex-champ [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (23-6 MMA, 14-4 UFC).

Gane is looking to get back on track after he lost a title unification bout against champ Francis Ngannou in January. That was the first loss of his career. Tuivasa is going after his sixth straight win – and all five in his current streak have been knockouts, including three in a row worthy of post-fight bonuses.

Whittaker is coming off a title-shot loss to Israel Adesanya in February, but before that had three straight wins after he lost the belt to Adesaanya in 2019. Adesanya is the only one who has beaten Whittaker over a period of more than eight years. And Vettori has had much the same fate – his only two losses the past six or so years have been to Adesanya. Still, both could be right back in the title picture with a win Saturday.

Tuivasa is the only one of those four who has yet to fight for a UFC belt. But of the main and co-main event fighters, who has the clearest path to a title shot with a win in Paris?

That’s the question we asked our β€œSpinning Back Clique” panel of Brian β€œGoze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Nolan King, who discussed the topic with host β€œGorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their conversation in the video above, or check out this week’s full episode below.

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Darren Till fires back at ‘big stupid orc’ Marvin Vettori: ‘I’m going to drive my fist through your face’

Darren Till still expects to see Marvin Vettori down the line, and he’s sent him a stern warning.

[autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] still expects to see [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] down the line, and he’s sent him a stern warning.

Till and Vettori were scheduled to fight at UFC on ABC 2 in April 2021, but Till withdrew due to a broken collarbone. When Vettori lost opponent Robert Whittaker at UFC 275 in June, he turned his attention to Till and Khamzat Chimaev, but the bout ended up getting rescheduled for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 209 co-main event.

Speaking to media, including MMA Junkie, in Paris, Vettori (18-5-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) was asked if he was still interested in Till (18-4-1 MMA, 6-4-1 UFC), promoting the Italian fighter to call him “irrelevant” and “delusional.”

Till, who’s targeting a return from injury this year, slammed Vettori for his comments and hopes the pair get to settle their score.

“Marvin, listen, you big stupid b*stard: I wish you all the best this week in your fight,” Till told ESPN. “I hope you do really well because you’re a great fighter. But let’s get one thing straight, brother: Right – I’m 29. When I’m healthy, it’s just fight, fight, fight. That’s all I’ll be doing.

“There’s nothing I think about more than just fighting, so what are you talking about, mate? Stop trying to put me down, you big stupid orc b*stard, because we’re going to meet one day and I’m going to drive my fist through your face.”

Till also added a response to Vettori on Twitter.

“I’ve only ever trolled @MarvinVettoriΒ on socials for a bit of beef nothing ever malicious or anything but every changeΒ @MarvinVettoriΒ gets to spit pure hatred he takes it. What’s up broΒ @MarvinVettori? Why you hate me and Izzy so much? Good luck the weekend rooting for u as always.”

UFC Fight Night 209 takes place Saturday at Accor Arena inΒ Paris. The card streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.

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UFC Fight Night 209 weigh-in video: Robert Whittaker, Marvin Vettori set for key clash

Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori have made weight for their massive middleweight showdown at UFC Fight Night 209.

PARIS – [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] and [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] have made weight for their massive middleweight showdown at UFC Fight Night 209.

Former UFC champ Whittaker (23-6, 14-4 UFC) and former title challenger Vettori (18-5-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) are set for a key showdown in Saturday’s co-main event, but ahead of stepping in the octagon, they had to do their part on the scale.

Whittaker weighed in first at 186 pounds, while Vettori came in minutes later and also registered at 186 pounds during Friday’s official weigh-in window.

Check out the video above to see both men making weight.

UFC Fight Night 209 takes place Saturday at Accor Arena. The entire event streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.

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