Marvin Vettori is on the ropes as he looks to end a horrid four-fight losing streak in a matchup with Ismail Naurdiev later tonight (Sat., Oct. 3, 2026) at UFC 332 LIVE on Paramount+/CBS in Salt Lake City, Utah, but at least “Italian Dream” will have the support of a former rival.
Vettori, who turned 33 last month, has not tasted victory inside of the Octagon since early 2023. That two-year drought includes four total losses to the likes of Brendan Allen, Jared Cannonier, Roman Dolidze, and Brunno
Ferreira. Two of those contests were Fight of the Night winners, but things have not gone well for Vettori. What compounds Vettori’s struggles is the fact that he lost his brother in a tragic fire in 2025.
Luckily, Vettori will have another chance to right the ship this weekend at UFC 332. Surprisingly, he already has the support of former rival and former UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya. Despite their tumultuous past, which saw Adesanya defeat Vettori twice inside of the Octagon, “Last Stylebender” is pulling for his former foe. After all, Adesanya has also fallen on tough times as he too is on a four-fight losing skid.
“My boy, Vettori,” said Adesanya in a recent video on this YouTube channel. “Is this his first fight back since the tragedy? Vettori is a hard man to finish. I don’t think anyone has finished him in the UFC yet. I think he still hates me. I don’t know why. Like twice a year, he will take shots at me for no reason. I respect him.
“If I lost you in a fire, I would be heartbroken. Even that makes me sad saying that. I empathize, so it’s hard for me to feel anything bad toward this man. Oh sh-t, he’s like me (with a four-fight losing skid). I want him to win. It would be good for him, his morale, his spirit. When you win, I win. When I win, you win. Whether you like it or not, Vettori, we’re locked in this sh-t for life.”
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