UFC middleweight contender Marvin Vettori isn’t buying the idea that he owes Paulo Costa a rematch after the Brazilian’s recent comments.
Vettori defeated Costa in a light heavyweight bout at UFC Vegas 41 last year. It was a back-and-forth war from start to finish, but Vettori was seen as the more active fighter and earned the decision on the judges’ scorecards.
It was a wild buildup to the fight as well, as Costa came into the pre-fight festivities overweight and unable to make the 185-pound limit. The UFC and Vettori agreed to make it a 205-pound matchup after concerns that the event may fall through.
Costa has recently come out and said that he only wants a Vettori rematch for his next Octagon appearance. It’s unlikely that the UFC will meet his demands despite Vettori being the only opponent that he seems interested in at the moment.
Costa’s disdain for Vettori has increased since their first fight, as he’s attacked Vettori and threatened to sideline him for a year in the event a rematch happens. During a recent tweet, Vettori responded to Costa’s recent interview comments.
“You was in the cage with me 30 pounds heavier and for real I know a b**ch her name Felicia she hits hard than you,” Vettori tweeted.
It’s unclear who Vettori will face next in his return to the cage. UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will face Robert Whittaker in a rematch at UFC 271, but the #2-ranked Vettori could open the discussion of possibly getting another shot at Adesanya with another win.
However, UFC President Dana White stated that Costa will need to fight at light heavyweight going forward, a claim that received major pushback from Costa’s management. At present, it seems that Costa seems content in fighting at middleweight, but it’ll have to only happen against Vettori unless he changes his mind.
Do you want to see Marvin Vettori vs. Paulo Costa again?
