Marvin Vettori and Jared Cannonier are motivated to stand out from the crowd at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas on Saturday. Vettori and Cannonier have only lost to the very best at middleweight in recent years. The UFC Apex will serve as the testing ground for whoever is most poised to secure a second world title.
Vettori (19-6-1) was an intractable conundrum that few at middleweight have solved. Only reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and former champion Robert Whittaker have beaten Vettori in the past five years. Adesanya is awaiting the winner of Whittaker vs. Dricuss du Plessis, leaving the winner of Saturday’s bout with no clear path to the top. Vettori lives by his motto “amor fati” (which means “love of one’s destiny” in Latin) and is not bothered by dating politics.
“I don’t think about it too much,” Vettori told CBS Sports. “It’s not in my power. What’s in my power is to put in a great performance on Saturday. That’s my focus. I just have to show that I’ve evolved and I’m even better before. Then I can follow another title run.
“Cannonier is a solid guy. He doesn’t have any major weaknesses… I definitely have an advantage in grappling. Also in boxing. In general, I think I’m better and sharper than him overall.”
Watch the full interview with Marvin Vettori below.
Cannonier (16-6) is in an almost identical situation as Vettori. Cannonier’s deficits over the past five years include decision losses against Adesanya and Whittaker. The parallel streets of Cannonier and Vettori differ in their motivations. While Vettori lets fate guide him, Cannonier is determined to achieve his own destiny. A defiant Cannonier envisions a stunning performance against Vettori that will spur the UFC’s matchmakers to earn him the middleweight title ahead of Whittaker or du Plessis.
“I want to open a few eyes and drop a few jaws,” Cannonier told CBS Sports. “I want the people who are making the decisions to say, ‘We already said that.’ [Whittaker vs. du Plessis] “It’s a contender fight, but this looks more appealing”, “Me vs. Israel, Part Two”. I know the first one didn’t go so well. A lot of people weren’t too happy with that. I wasn’t happy with that either and made the changes I needed to make to be happy if I ever got into the Octagon with him.
“I’m ready to put on a feat that will make these guys believe otherwise than what’s already written on the ether.”
Watch the full interview with Jared Cannonier below.
The co-main event sees a headscratch between Arman Tsarukyan, by far the card’s biggest favorite, and Joaquim Silva. Many consider Tsarukyan a future title contender and it seems a combination of injuries and cancellations has forced him to face an overwhelming opponent. Tsarukyan wants to make a big statement on Saturday and choose an important fight.
Below is the rest of Saturday night’s fight card with the latest odds from Caesars Sportsbook before we get to a prediction and settle on the main event.
UFC Fight Night Card, Odds
| Marvin Vettori -125 | Jared Canonier +105 | medium weight |
| Arman Zarukyan -1100 | Joaquim Silva +700 | Light |
| Christian Leroy Duncan-150 | Armen Petrosyan +126 | medium weight |
| Pat Sabatini-190 | Lucas Almeida +160 | featherweight |
| Manuel Torres-180 | Nikolas Motta +155 | Light |
| Muslim Salikhov -190 | Zac Pauga +170 | welterweight |
About the UFC Fight Night ad
Date: June 17 | Start time: 10:00 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: UFC Apex – Las Vegas, Nevada
TV channel: ESPN | Live broadcast: fuboTV (try for free)
forecast
Marvin Vettori vs Jared Canonnier: Vettori and Cannonier have comparable standup stats. The middleweights land and get hit at a similar rate. The most glaring discrepancy on paper is Vettori’s wrestling. The Italian Dream averages 1.7 takedowns per 15 minutes compared to Cannonier’s 0.17 and is about 20% more effective. The biggest concern for Cannonier is his subpar 64% Takedown Defense. Many of the takedowns Cannonier suffered were against larger heavyweight and light heavyweight opponents, so this may not be the most accurate representation of his middleweight prowess, but Derek Brunson managed three takedowns in under two rounds last year. Vettori also benefits from a gas tank that lasts 25 minutes and a chin that has survived 26 pro fights. This durability will serve him well against the lumbering Cannonier. A standing fight between the two would be fairly even, with a slight advantage for Cannonier. Vettori’s superior wrestling was to push him out of the box. Vettori about UD