Marvin Vettori Looks to Snap Losing Streak Against Ismail Naurdiev at UFC 332

Former UFC middleweight title challenger Marvin Vettori is looking to reverse his recent fortunes when he returns to the Octagon this Saturday at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City. Vettori faces Ismail Naurdiev with the goal of halting a career-worst four-fight losing streak, having not secured a victory since defeating Roman Dolidze in March 2023.

Speaking to MMA Fighting's José Youngs, Vettori admitted that analyzing his recent performances has been difficult. "I struggled so bad to watch until the end because I'm looking shit, I'm so f*cking bad," Vettori said. Aside from his bout against Jared Cannonier, which he noted was well-executed by his opponent, Vettori was highly critical of his other recent showings.

"I couldn't throw a cross without falling down. A lot of shit happened, you’ve got to roll with it, so I prepare for fights because I needed a reason to just go forward. But yeah, when I look at my last few fights, I looked like shit, so I look forward to showing another version of myself."

In his most recent Octagon appearance, Vettori dropped a unanimous decision to Brunno Ferreira at UFC 323 in December. The Italian fighter was originally scheduled to meet Naurdiev earlier this year in June, but a broken rib forced a postponement. Vettori also underwent non-invasive surgery to address a hernia in his back during his recovery.

As soon as he was cleared to compete, Vettori requested that the bout with Naurdiev be rescheduled immediately. Now healthy and past his injury setbacks, Vettori enters Saturday's matchup eager to prove that his recent skid does not define his capabilities inside the cage.