After almost two years away from the octagon, Marvin Vettori is making his long-awaited return. Many fighters struggle with ring rust after a lengthy layoff, but the Italian star remains confident that time away won’t hinder his performance.
"No, I think it's… you know, with the mind, I've always been on top of everything. Just thinking and making sure I improve. So, no, I don't think ring rust will be a problem," Vettori told Sports Tak.
His return fight is a rematch against Roman Dolidze, whom he has already beaten. But for Vettori, this is a brand-new fight. "Every fight is a new fight. Obviously, yeah, I beat him. I know I can beat him. But it’s not just him—I know I can beat everybody," he added while speaking to Sports Tak.
Despite previous title challenges, Vettori believes he is still in his prime. "Nah, man, I'm still very young, to be honest with you. I still have a good few years left. I didn’t even hit my prime, in my opinion. So, definitely not done yet," he stated in his interview with Sports Tak.
Watch UFC Fight Night - Vettori vs. Dolidze 2 on 16th March 2025 at 4:30 AM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD (Tamil & Telugu).
Vettori Not Impressed by "Boogeyman" Talk
Khamzat Chimaev’s recent dominant performance over Robert Whittaker had many fighters and fans labeling him as the new "boogeyman" of the middleweight division. But Marvin Vettori isn’t buying into the hype.
"No, no. There's a lot of tough fighters in this division. The division is very deep. I don’t think he’s a boogeyman. At least for me, I don’t see him as a boogeyman," Vettori told Sports Tak.
While others may be avoiding Chimaev, Vettori embraces the idea of stepping into the cage with him. "I would love to fight him, to be honest. He’s good, but I like my chances in that fight for sure," he added.
Vettori sees a key weakness in Chimaev’s style that he believes he can exploit.
"I think one of his problems is durability. I think durability is his problem. And I’m arguably one of the most durable fighters," he explained to Sports Tak.
Known for his toughness and ability to take damage, Vettori believes he matches up well against Chimaev’s aggressive approach. "It would excite me a lot. Yeah, I mean, let’s see. In the future, it might happen. But I would love that fight," he stated.