This Saturday night at the APEX Center in Las Vegas, Italian sensation Martin Vettori (15-4-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) will headline his first UFC event against Sweden’s own Jack Hermansson (21-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) in middleweight action. Ranked 13th in the Octagon, Vettori was originally scheduled to meet Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at UFC 256. Instead, Vettori will replace Kevin Holland, who tested positive for COVID-19.
S A T U R D A Y !
🃏 @JackTheJokerMMA vs 🇮🇹 @MarvinVettori
[ #UFCVegas16 | LIVE on ESPN2 & #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/N6CBw14jKu
— UFC (@ufc) December 1, 2020
Vettori has won his last three fights in a row while Hermansson has won three of his last four fights, going 2-1 in 2019. As the favorite against Hermansson, “The Italian Dream” continues to climb up the ranks in the UFC middleweight division. With five wins in eight fights and Hermansson recording eight wins in eleven, Vettori turns out to be the favorite in this upcoming bout at a +115. A brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Filippo Stabile and with improved striking under Rafael Cordeiro gives him a chance against a Greco-Roman wrestling standout.
As for life in the United States, living in California has been great except for one thing, finding legitimate Italian food. Speaking to UFC.com, he explains his newly acquired first world problem while exploring the one thing most citizens find more unfeasible, the American Dream.
“I knew from before that I would have some hard times that way, but it’s all right,” he laughs. “I had to come here. It wasn’t even an option. But the food there is different, for sure.”
Vettori trains under two fighting teams, Kings MMA since 2015 and the Stabile Fight Team since 2014, under his Jiu-Jitsu coach who has made him a threat on the ground. As for living in California, he’ll have plenty of time to find more great food restaurants that will fulfill his needs. As for his upcoming bout against Hermansson in Sin City, he may have to hold off on the carbs until after he makes weight and after the bout. Otherwise, he has a strong chance of extending his win streak to four on ESPN+ this Saturday night at 7 PM ET.
